Ash's Past
by Terminatress
Summary: Why does it seem that Ash can't remember a thing? It's almost as if he has amnesia. Why don't we ever hear of a Mr. Ketchum? A place called Cherry Canyon holds the answers. READ&REVIEW Fixed #3
1. Default Chapter

Author note: Here it is! This fic I've been working on for months! I am dedicating this to Suddsie my editor. (She made me write this) I wasn't originally going to write this story so thank her because she talked me into it.  
  
Past  
  
It is a sunny day in Pallet town when out young heroes returned from their adventures in the Johto League. Too bad things are about to get stormy for Ash.   
  
"I can't believe I won!" Ash said for about the third time that day. Ash had a six-on-six match with the red trainer Locke, the red division champ and won.  
  
"I can't believe you won either, Ash," Misty shot in. "With your poor training skills and irresponsible personality, it was blind luck that you even got into the third round."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ash demanded with steam pouring out of his ears. Brock saw what was about to happen and decided to risk Misty's infamous mallet.  
  
"Misty, that was uncalled for," Brock said suddenly as he stepped between Ash and Misty. "I think that you owe Ash and apology." Misty gawked at Brock. Misty was about to say something when she stopped and thought about what she had said.  
  
"Alright," Misty began, "I'm sorry that Ash is such a poor trainer and is irresponsible…"   
  
"Ash?" Brock asked. Ash would have usually retorted to Misty's jibe but he stood frozen to the ground with his back turned to his friends. Misty noticed too and stopped her joke. When Misty and Brock walked over to see what Ash was looking at, they realized that Ash was staring at his house.   
  
"Whose truck is that in the driveway, Ash?" Misty asked. Ash didn't respond. Misty and Brock, more than just a little curious, began to walk forward when they noticed that Ash still hadn't moved.  
  
"Ash, are you alright?" Brock asked. Brock went back and waved his hand in front of Ash's face. Ash's eyes were locked on the truck.  
  
****  
"Mommy! Mommy! Someone pulled into the driveway!" Ash called to his mother. Delilah Ketchum gasped and dropped the plate she had been washing back into the sink of soapy water. "Mommy?" Ash asked from the doorway, "Did you hear me?"  
  
"He wouldn't dare!" she suddenly shouted. Ash jumped out of the way as his mother made a mad dash to the door. Ash followed her out into the hallway and saw the front door swing open.  
  
"Where is he?" a loud voice demanded. Ash couldn't see anything because his mother was in the way.   
  
"Go away. You have no right to see him." Ash shuddered at his mother's cold voice. That was the voice she used when she was very, VERY angry.   
  
"This paper says that I have every right to see him," responded the voice. Ash heard a ruffle of paper from the doorway. Ash began to creep toward his mother to see who the visitor was and why his mother was so angry. Ash halted when his mother suddenly made a clenched fist.   
  
"You can't be serious!" Delilah sputtered. Ash resumed his creeping once more, determined to find out who was upsetting his mother. "He's only a boy," she continued with force, "You can't…"  
  
"I can and I will. Have him ready to by tomorrow, and say your goodbyes." Ash was directly beside his mother now. The stranger at the door saw the rustle of Delilah's skirt and smiled at what he saw.   
  
"Mommy, what is going on?" Ash asked his mother. Delilah gently grasped the back of her son's coveralls and urged him farther into the safety of the house.  
  
"Not now, honey, go back inside. Mommy's busy right now." Ash did not budge. Ash studied the stranger in the doorway, and he was big. All adults are big to small children, but this man was enormous! Ash saw sparkling blue eyes, black hair and a warm smile. Ash grabbed his mother's leg and caught the folds of her skirt.   
  
"Mommy, who's that?" Ash asked shyly. Delilah froze, not prepared for her son to ask such a question. The stranger laughed. Ash thought that is was such a nice laugh that he smiled and laughed too. The stranger kneeled down so he was face to face with Ash.  
  
"I'm someone you're going to know quite well. You're coming to live with me for a while." Ash was confused.  
  
In a questioning tone Ash asked, "Are you moving in?" The stranger laughed once more and ruffled Ash's hair.   
  
"I don't think so, sport. You're coming to live with me at my house," the man answered.  
  
"--For a while!" Delilah interrupted. The man's attention was adverted for a moment. Ash was curious and bursting with questions, but decided against is when the man's mood suddenly changed.   
  
"Until I can find a way to make it permanent, that is. Have his things ready by tomorrow." With that, the man walked back outside, got into his truck and drove off.  
  
"Mommy, who was that?" Ash asked again. Delilah turned and walked back into the kitchen, picking her plate back up again. "Mommy?" Ash tried once more. Ash wanted an answer very much so he decided to do what he normally did to get something he really wanted. Ash tugged on her skirt and gave her his patented Bambie-eyes routine. Delilah locked down at her son and began to cry. Ash did not know what he did but was sorry that he did it. "Mommy, I'm sorry. Don't cry, please."   
****  
  
The truck was the same. It was the same truck that took him away from his mother. It was the same truck that belonged to the one person he forced himself to forget about. It belonged to the one person that he feared and loved at the same time. That truck belonged to his father.  
  
"Ash! Ash! Hello-o!" Misty called. Ash blinked twice. Then a thundershock blasted his body. Ash shook himself off from the ground and stood up.  
  
"Ash?" Brock asked worried. Ash was never like this; he almost looked…afraid. Ash knew something bad was about to happen. The look of concern in both his friend's eyes made it clear that he was upset.  
  
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked. Pikachu was even more worried about Ash than Misty or Brock. This was Ash's hometown; here Ash was on familiar ground. Ash was always alert, a bit on guard when traveling, but in Pallet, Ash seemed in his element and relaxed. Ash's sudden zoning out scared Pikachu.   
  
"All right mister-what's going on here?" demanded Misty. Ash didn't answer his friend's questions. When Ash took off running directly at his house, it came as a complete surprise to his two friends. Pikachu clamped onto Ash's shoulder with a death grip as Ash ran. Misty and Brock weren't too far behind. Ash slowed when he heard the voices. All too familiar voices were shouting at each other.   
  
"You're lying" a voice accused.  
  
"Why would I lie? Besides he's on a Pokemon journey. It won't do you any good to stay her until he comes home." There was a silence.  
  
"How do I know if you're telling the truth? Ash could be upstairs in his room listening to us for all I know."  
  
"Go upstairs and check for yourself." Ash had come to a stop now. Misty and Brock joined him on the steps of his house. Misty's eyes were wide and unbelieving. Brock just stood silently.  
  
"That was your mother's voice" Misty final said. Ash gathered all his courage and opened the door.   
  
"Hello?" Delilah called from the kitchen. Ash noticed the tone of voice she was using.  
  
"Hi Mrs. Ketchum" Misty called in response. There was a crash of a dish in the kitchen. Ash didn't have to guess the look on his mother's face for she entered the room seconds later. Ash had seen his mother's face like it before: upset, worried and scared.   
  
"Ash?" Ash couldn't look up to see that face again. Pikachu looked from Ash to his mother and back again.  
  
"What's going on here?" Brock demanded. Ash hadn't noticed his friends had come inside with him. Mrs. Ketchum lowered her head and she sobbed. Footsteps came form the stairs and Ash couldn't move.   
  
"Pikapi?!" Pikachu said in sudden alarm. The man that had just entered the room looked a lot like Ash. Same spiky, black hair, same face shape and the same nose.   
  
"Where've you been boy?" the stranger demanded. The bewildered look on Ash's face confirmed what Delilah had said to him earlier. The stranger's mood suddenly changed when Ash didn't answer.   
  
"And just who are you?" Misty demanded. The man ignored Misty's question. Misty, not liking to be ignored, got angry. "Hey! Are you listening to me? Ash are you just going to let this stranger run amuck in your house?"  
  
"Misty, stop it" Mrs. Ketchum sobbed. Misty gave the unfamiliar person a death glare. Brock was now in his girl-protecting mode so he was kneeling beside Mrs. Ketchum.  
  
"So it's true," the man suddenly stated. Ash looked up and met the man's gaze. The man suddenly wondered how much of what Delilah told him was the truth. "You don't remember me, do you?"  
  
"You seem familiar" Ash said. Misty and Brock stared at him. "I can't place you though."  
  
"I see" the man said. "Doesn't matter. You'll remember soon enough. Don't bother getting unpacked; you're coming with me."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Misty growled. "Ash isn't going anywhere with a stranger. Who do you think you are?" The man shot Misty a look that could have squeezed water out of a stone.   
  
"I'm his father" Mark Ketchum growled. The apparent shock hit Misty first.  
  
"W-What?" Misty squeaked. Brock was like a statue beside Delilah Ketchum. Ash could have been knocked over with a feather.  
  
"Pikaa" Pikachu said in awe. Mark noticed the Pokemon for the first time.   
  
"What is that?" Mark demanded, shaking a finger at Pikachu. Pikachu turned a shade of blue and hid behind Ash's head.  
  
"This is my Pikachu" Ash stated proudly. Mark looked over his son, noting the pokebelt.  
  
"You train Pokemon?" Mark asked. Ash winced at the way he said it. "Well, I'm sorry but where you're going, you won't have time to train Pokemon."  
  
"What are you saying?" Misty gasped. Brock jumped up in shock. They both had the same thought at the same time. Ash's expression was blank.   
  
"Give your Pokemon to your mother" Mark ordered. Mrs. Ketchum visibly paled when she saw the tear. Pikachu glared at Mark when he heard the order.  
  
"Pikachu, pika chu pi!" Pikachu growled. Ash made fists with his hands.  
  
"How can you ask me to do this?" Ash asked in a small voice. Mark crossed his arms in impatience.  
  
"Pokemon will only distract you. I wan t you at home with a clear mind. Now give your pokemon to your mother." Tears dropped down his cheeks as all eyes watched him. Ash could fell his heart breaking.  
  
"Ash-" Delilah sobbed. Ash unbuttoned his belt and gave it to his mother with shaking hands. Pikachu was harder to let go of.  
  
"Pikapi! Piiiii." Ash untangled the pokemon from his shoulder and held the pokemon in a fierce hug. Pikachu hugged Ash back just as hard.  
  
"I'll miss you buddy." Ash sobbed. Pikachu was passed to Delilah and a hand went on Ash's shoulder.  
  
"Time to go boy."  
  
"Nooooo!" Ash yelled as he bolted up in bed. Ash remembered the nightmare and took deep breaths to steady his nerves.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon or anything related to pokemon. Pokemon and its associated characters are copyrighted by Nintendo/Game Freak. This is a pokemon fanfic created by my mind only (however warped it is.).  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Ash!" Mark burst into Ash's room. The look of concern and worry were unmistakable. Mark did care for Ash but rarely showed his feelings. When Mark saw no immediate danger he relaxed. "Nightmare?"  
  
"Yeah," Ash moaned. Mark sat down on Ash's navy blue blankets in his Cherry Canyon bedroom.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Ash shook his head. Mark smiled and ruffled his hair. "Try to get some sleep champ." Mark got up and left Ash alone.  
  
"Whatever happened to boy?" Ash said in a whisper. It was true Ash had changed in the three months he had been in Cherry Canyon. A town he had totally forgotten about.  
****  
  
"Here we are Ash," Mark said as he pulled into the Cherry Canyon town limits. A three year old Ash Ketchum had drank in the scenery ever since leaving Pallet Town.  
  
"What's the sign say dad?" Ash asked. Mark smiled at the sight of Ash's nose leaving an imprint on the glass. Ash hadn't moved since the last stop they had made.   
  
"It's welcoming you to Cherry Canyon," Mark said in a gentle tone. Ash recognized the title and smiled.  
  
"My home? My new home?" Ash asked excited bouncing on the seat. Mark laughed at his son's enthusiasm. The second time Ash saw Cherry Canyon for the first time, he wasn't as enthusiastic.   
  
"We're here!" Mark crowed. Ash hadn't moved from his position in the truck ever since they got in the truck. Mark wanted some reaction from Ash.  
  
"Where's here?" Ash asked half-heartedly. Mark frowned. It was hard for him to accept that Ash had total amnesia about his life with him in Cherry Canyon.  
  
"Cherry Canyon," Mark said a bit hurt. Ash uncurled his legs out from under him and looked out the window. When Ash saw something that stirred forgotten memories, he straightened up.  
****  
  
"Morning Raina." Ash was nervous about his first trip into town. Mark was almost laughing because of the death grip on his hand. Ash was holding onto Marks hand and he wasn't letting go.  
  
"Ohhh! How sweet! Is this your famous little boy I've been hearing so much about?" Raina giggled Ash was in the flower shop getting seeds for the greenhouse. The woman his father called Raina kneeled down to get a better look at Ash.  
  
"Sure is. Say hello, Ashura." Ash blushed furiously and fidgeted.  
  
"Hello," Ash said shyly. Mark noticed his boy's obvious discomfort and laughed.  
  
"Looks like you made a friend. Ash doesn't blush for just anyone." With that, Ash blushed even harder.  
  
"Have you met my niece young man? Oh Candy! Can you come here for a moment?" Ash couldn't believe his good fortune! Ash hadn't played with anyone since he left Pallet town. Ash watched with interest as the young girl came from the back.  
  
"Yes Auntie R? Oh!" Candy was a girl with pink hair and blue eyes. When she noticed Ash, her eyes lit up like lights. "Hello my name is Candy." Ash let go of his father's hand and walked up to her.  
  
"I'm Ash. You know, the only Candy I've ever met have sugar all over them." Mark groaned at his son's humor. However, Candy laughed.  
  
"The only Ash I know is in a fireplace. Do you want to see the back?" Ash looked up at his father for approval and Mark nodded.   
  
"I don't believe it! There's two of them!" Mark joked as soon as the kids were out of sight.  
****  
  
"Huh?" Ash gasped. The flower shop in his memory was now a Candy store. Ash could have sworn he had seen a girl with pink hair serving a toddler.  
  
"Something wrong?" Mark asked. Ash shook off the memory. Ash looked back at the store and memorized the location.  
****  
  
Ash couldn't get back to sleep. It bothered him that his father had finally called him champ, not boy. Ash threw off his covers and got up. Ash's room had a few personal items in it. There was a bed in the corner and a closet for his uniforms, work clothes and street ware. The only thing he had from Pallet was his backpack. Ash put on his clothes and grabbed his backpack.  
  
"Dad? You awake?" Ash whispered out into the hallway. All he heard was snoring from the bedroom adjacent to his. Ash tiptoed out of the house and into the night. Ash ran like a shadow in the darkness. Human eyes weren't meant to see in the dark but that didn't matter to Ash.  
  
'How long have I been doing this?' Ash asked himself. Ash could see the lay of the land before him in his mind. Ash decided it was the first time he entered the forbidden grove. Cherry's forbidden grove was famous for being on of the most dangerous forests in the world.  
****  
  
"I wanna go home!" A three and a half year old Ash Ketchum cried. Ash was lost in a place he didn't know. The bully Justin Trump chased him until he was at the very edge of the forest. Ash ducked, or rather dove, into a bush and watched him run by.  
  
'If it wasn't for that stupid bully, I wouldn't be in this mess.' Ash thought. Ash wandered around the forest, trying to find a way out. The day grew long and Ash was still lost.   
  
"Dad is going to be so mad!" Ash said aloud. Then Ash heard something behind him. Ash turned around to see a small clearing behind him. When Ash peered through the bushes, he saw something digging up the clearing.   
  
"Lar-lar, vi-tar tar," a voice came from a hole. Ash, being a curious child, went over to the hole. When he tried to peer in, he was rewarded with a face full of dirt.  
  
"Pah! Yuck!" Ash said suddenly spitting out the dirt. The pokemon making the hole was alarmed someone was up at the entrance. Charging up to challenge the intruder, Larvitar met with a shocking sight. "A pokemon!" Ash giggled in surprise.   
  
"LAR?!?" The small pokemon was caught off guard by the young boy's fierce embrace. The wild pokemon had never confronted a human child before.  
  
"I have never seen a live pokemon before. Can you help me?" Larvitar didn't know what to do with a human boy so he squirmed. Ash let go suddenly to take a look at the pokemon.  
  
"Lar!" The pokemon gulped in fresh air. Ash had never seen a pokemon like this before.  
  
"Do you want to play with me?" Ash asked the young pokemon. The Larvitar gave a questioning look and went back into the hole.  
  
"Lar-vi-tar." Ash poked his head in the hole and saw that the entrance was small but the inside was big. Larvitar began to dig again and Ash laughed.   
  
"That looks like fun. Wait for me!" Ash spent the next few hours digging with his new friend whom he named Digger.  
****  
Ash walked around Cherry Canyon for what seemed like hours. Ash had just finished another doldrums day at the scrap yard. It had been about a week since he moved to the crevasse and wasn't enjoying his newfound homeland.   
  
'I can't believe dad made me get two jobs,' Ash growled in his head. 'And to top it all off, I haven't made one friend since I got here.'  
  
"I wonder what happened back there," Ash whispered to himself. Bruce, his boss, had dismissed Ash from the junkyard early today. All Ash had been doing was sorting junk. Ash was halfway down the pile when he heard his boss's voice above him, telling him to knock it off and to go home. What Ash failed to realize was that the junk pile he was halfway down should have lasted him the week, not just a few hours.   
  
'He seemed more angry at Jake and Manny that me.' Ash had just figured it out when someone he knew only as Justin popped around a corner with his two lackeys Mike and Trevor. "This could be trouble," Ash thought when they spotted him.  
  
"New Kid," whispered Mike to Trevor. Trevor nodded and laughed, knowing what was about to happen. Ash's memory had been returning at a surprising rate over the last few weeks and began remembering these three jerks the moment he saw Justin. Justin was the one that got Ash into trouble all the time and chased him into the forbidden grove.   
  
'What could these jerks want?' Ash thought when they walked up to him. He then caught flashes his first meeting with the three boys. Justin applied his best grin, the one meant to intimidate people. Ash thought the smile reminded him of the time a pet Meowth ate a Pidgey. Ash inwardly shuddered.   
  
"Sooo-you new around here?" asked Justin. Ash decided to play along with Mr. Intimidator and lowered his eyes.   
  
"Er-yeah," Ash mumbled. Justin glanced to Mike and Trevor and winked. Ash pretended to be really nervous and it made the three all the more brazen.   
  
"New in town, huh? Well then, let's give this guy a tour shall we?" Justin suggested to his companions.  
  
"Let's," they said in unison. Ash knew what the routine was: show him a dumpster full of trash from the inside, end of tour.   
  
"Not right now. I've got to get back home before my father comes looking for me," Ash said with a slight change in attitude. Mike and Trevor moved in beside Ash and both took a shoulder.  
  
"Oh, but we insist," Justin growled. Before they could try and force Ash into the alley, Ash tripped Mike and squirmed away from Trevor. Ash then turned on his heels and ran for dear life.   
  
'What a way to start out,' Ash thought to himself. He ran through the streets at a minimum speed. 'Minimum!' Ash thought to himself when he realized how fast the buildings were whizzing by, or rather he was whizzing by them. Ash was speeding down streets as if the Devil himself was chasing him and what was really strange was that he seemed to know exactly where he was going. Ash ducked into an alley and heard voices behind him.  
  
"Where'd he go?" demanded Justin.  
  
"Who cares. Rocket propelled runts like that are beneath the garbage initiation anyway," sighed Mike.  
****  
  
Ash snapped out of another memory sequence and back to the present. Ash was halfway to the tree house. Ash glided down a cliff face in a bucket attached to a pulley system. Ash had fixed up all of his old gadgets so he could get around the forest again.  
  
"It's good to remember," Ash sighed. Indeed, it was good to remember that you actually had a brain and used it for something for something good. Ash's memories all came back to him in the first month that Ash was back in Cherry Canyon, and with the memories came tons of knowledge; old friends, achievements, general knowledge and special secrets.  
  
'Hah! If I ever come across Misty or Brock again, they'll never believe it was me,' Ash thought dreamily. Many of his talents, natural and otherwise, had returned. Ash remembered he was musically inclined. Ash broke into a huge grin at the memory of Sheri.  
****  
  
"Little A!" cried a girl in a while dress and sandals. Sheri was a girl Ash met a few days ago and made and instant friend. Sheri was Ash's total opposite, golden locks of hair, aqua eyes, and rarely smiled.  
  
'I like her smile,' a four-year old Ash thought. Sheri was the daughter of the mayor, Ms Cherrywinkle; that left Sheri with a lot of free time so Ash decided to come over every Tuesday and Thursday.   
  
"Little S," was Ash's reply. Sheri laughed and launched herself from the steps and gave Ash a hug. "So what're we doing today?" Ash asked. Sheri's face fell and Ash knew something was wrong.  
  
"I can't come out and play. Mommy wants me to take something called piano lessons." Ash thought he knew what a piano was and realized that she might not be able to play with him anymore. Ash had other friends like Gizmo, Ken, Candy, and Robert, but he really wanted to get to know Sheri. Then Ash had a thought strike him.  
  
"Can I learn too?"  
****  
  
Ash began to giggle as he remembered the look on Sheri's face when he asked that question. Sheri had not expected that at all. Ash was in the process of jumping onto a stump that he expected to launch him high into the air so he could grab at the hidden branches above. That's not what happened.  
  
"Whoah!" Ash yelped in surprise. Ash's foot went strait through the top of the log. Ash tumbled over the log onto some moss below. Ash silently cursed himself and unhooked the spring from around his leg.  
  
"Well this is great," Ash muttered to himself. "What do you expect? It's been years and wood does rot," he chastised himself. "Good thing no one saw that. Ouch! I think my pride is what hurts the most right now."  
  
"Draaaa! Draaaa! Tiiinii!" laughed a voice beside him. Ash felt his ears go hot and he turned his head slightly. Blue was almost literally killing itself laughing.  
  
"And what do you think you're doing? Spying on me? Or is this your fault?" Ash accused with as much dignity as he could with a spring tangled around his feet. Ash thought it was probably both so he made an effort to grab Blue.   
  
"Dra!" Blue squeaked in surprise. Ash caught Blue off guard and began to tickle the unprepared pokemon. "Dra! Dra! Dra!" Blue squirmed away from Ash's grasp. Ash couldn't help but laugh at Blue, when the dragon tumbled into a patch of icy weed in an attempt to flee.  
  
'Kinda like the first time we met,' Ash thought with a grin, 'only last time, I had to help Blue get out.' Ash unraveled the spring and put in his backpack.  
  
"Dra!" cam an annoyed voice from behind Ash. Ash turned to see Blue still caught up in the icy weed. Ash stifled his laughter at Blue's obvious frustration and unhooked Blue from the bush.  
  
"There you go," Ash said as soon as Blue was free. Blue showed his appreciation by wrapping around Ash's head like a tiara. Ash could breath just fine but… "Do I look like a bus to you?"  
  
"Dra, tini." Blue wanted a ride back to the tree house. Ash jumped up when he realized that the Dratini was growling, "Draa."  
  
"Something the matter?" Ash asked. Blue stared at the direction Ash had come through and growled again. This time the growl was answered in kind.  
  
"Grrrr." It was barely audible but Ash heard it and recognized it.  
  
"Silver!" Ash exclaimed in surprise. Ash was astonished to see that his cadet pokemon partner followed him. The Growlith timidly stepped out of the bushes looking ashamed. Blue however looked up at Ash.  
  
"Dra-tini-dra?" Ash sighed loudly at the obvious question.  
  
"Yes, I know this pokemon. Blue, meet Silvermane of the Growlithe cadet training and my assigned partner. Silver, this is Blue, he's and old friend." Both pokemon seemed to size one another up.  
  
"Growlithe?" queried Silvermane.   
  
"Dra-tini-dra, dra-tini-tini," responded Blue. Both pokemon seemed to relax. Ash promptly decided to ask Silvermane a question.  
  
"And just what do you think you're doing?" Ash asked eying his partner. Silvermane lowered his ears. "You're supposed to be in the kennel. When Officer Jenny finds out about this, we're both toast."  
  
"Growwlll," the puppy pokemon replied. Ash shook his head. Officer Jenny prided herself on taking great care of her cadet training pokemon and Silvermane was the best. Jenny always checked the kennel in the evening before going home and first thing in the morning. Ash realized something and began to laugh.  
  
"You stayed out all night, didn't you? You jumped the gate, sniffed me out but couldn't find a way into my house." Ash laughed all that much harder. "Th-then you missed me coming out of my house so you've been following my scent."  
  
"Growl?" Silvermane asked. Ash waggled a finger in front of his pokemon pal.  
  
"How do I know? You look like something the Meowth brought in!" Silvermane was covered in stickle burrs, white ivy dust and –"Uh-Oh!" Ash gasped when he took a closer look at Silvermane's paws, -tainted brent mud.  
  
"Dra!" Blue shrieked in alarm. Before Silvermane could get nervous about the comment, Ash picked him up and ran as fast as he could toward the tree house.  
  
"Growl?" Tainted brent mud. That's the main reason that Cherry Grove was, is, forbidden. The mud was like a fads acting, and extremely fatal, acid. It could strip the flesh off of a person in seconds if at a high enough concentration. Ash let out a high pitch whistle.  
  
"Pheee!" The whistle seemed to echo all around the forest and in response, a large growl could be heard. Ash was still running when a pair of large talons plucked him mid-stride.  
  
"To the cavern and hurry!" Ash called out as soon as he was lightly gripped high in the air. Arrow replied in a loud roar to communicate that it had heard Ash. Ash looked down at Silvermane who didn't seem to be feeling too good.   
  
'This is bad,' Ash thought, 'the concentration of acid is high, and that means the acid will act quicker.' Ash cringed involuntarily. Ash remembered that the first time he encountered tainted brent mud, Digger almost died.  
  
"Dra?" Blue asked Ash. Ash was snapped out of his thoughts. They were at the cavern. The cavern Ash had found by accident with his Larvitar friend went for miles underground.  
  
'This is no time for a trip down memory lane,' Ash silently scolded himself. Riding now on his friend Arrow's back, Ash was ducking the familiar dips and obstacles of the cavern roof. Silvermane began to squirm.  
  
"At last!" Ash cheered in joy. Ash was set down in front of a table. Silvermane was carefully placed on the laboratory table and Ash dashed off to one of the cavern walls. "Blue, was off what you can with Watergun. Be careful not to hurt him, though."   
  
"Dra!" The Dratini went from Ash's head to the table in moments. A gentle Watergun washed what it could from the Growlithe's paws. Ash gathered what he needed and ran back to the table.  
  
'We need a certain amount of base to counter the acid. Let's see…' Ash grabbed a solution that only he knew about and went to work calculating what he would need in order to neutralize the effects of the mud. Minutes later…  
  
"There you go," Ash soothed. Silvermane was on the road to recovery and was extremely exhausted. Ash had bandaged Silvermane's paws and leaned on a nearby rock of support.  
  
"LAR-VI-TAR," called a voice not too far away. Ash smiled and received a great big hug from Digger. "Lar?" Ash pointed to the table and Digger's eyes grew wide.  
  
"It was Silvermane," Ash sighed. "He tried to come with me last night. I guess he found more than he bargained for."  
  
"Dra-tini-dra-dra," snorted Blue. Digger gave Blue a stare that could melt ice. Blue wasn't even phased. "Dra-tini."  
  
"Cut that out you two. Since I have work today, I need you guys to keep and eye on Silver here." Both pokemon rolled their eyes. Ash set Digger down on the ground and picked up Silvermane.   
  
"Lar?" Digger followed Ash up through some pokemon made stairs to the surface, and the tree house.  
  
"Silvermane should sleep all day. I'm putting him in my hammock. I'll be back around nightfall."  
  
"Lar…" Sunlight lit up the tree house from the outside. Junk was strewn out across the planks that made a floor. Shelves were filled with plants, herb and lots of books. In the corner, there were two hammocks. The largest was Ash's and he set the fire pokemon in it. It would take him twenty minutes to get into town and he had things to do.  
  
"Gotta run. I'll be back buddy." Ash pat Digger on the head before jumping onto a pulley system of rope and gadgets. Ash was launched out into the darkness of the grove in no time.  
  
'Heh. Gizmo would have a hissy if he saw this place.' Ash remembered the first time he met Gizmo as a kid. Gizmo was always a nerd but he was a smart nerd. Too bad bullies flocked to him like moths to a flame.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon or anything related to pokemon. Pokemon and its associated characters are copyrighted by Nintendo/Game Freak. This is a pokemon fanfic created by my mind only (however warped it is.).  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
****  
"Hey!" growled a five-year old Ash. Justin was picking on another kid again. Ash didn't see who they were picking on and didn't care. Justin looked up and saw the bane of his existence; Little A.  
  
"Forget nerdy, get him!" shouted Justin. Mike and Trevor jumped up from their positions on either side of the victim and took off after Justin. Ash was in the lead, running just ahead of his pursers.  
  
'What makes them think that today will be any different?' Ash asked himself. 'If they haven't caught me in the last year, do they really expect to catch me now?' Ash saw the opportunity to lose the losers and took it.  
  
"Rassp!" Ash turned and stuck out his tongue at the bullies. Ash jumped onto a garbage can, onto a fire escape and ran up the ladder. Ash pulled the ladder up after him and giggled.   
  
'They never think to look up.' Ash was going just fast enough to round a corner and pull it off every time. Ash called it his "sure fire escape". Even if they looked up, they couldn't reach him.   
  
"Don't let him get away!" Justin screamed as he ran into the alley. Ash watched them run by with amusement and chuckled. As soon as he was sure they were a block away, Ash jumped down.  
  
"Heh! That's pretty smart." Ash was startled to find a small boy with wild, unruly red hair and thick glasses watching him.  
  
"Umm, thanks," Ash muttered, embarrassed. The boy looked down and smiled shyly.   
  
"I should be thanking you. Those guy would have had me for lunch." Ash put an arm behind his head and laughed nervously.  
  
"I'm Ash, but you can call me Little A. Nearly everyone does," Ash said quickly. Ash held out his hand and the boy took it.  
  
"I'm Gizmo." From that day forward, Gizmo became a valuable member of the Little Society.  
****  
  
Ash neared the edge of the Forbidden Grove. This was always tricky because if anyone saw him, well...they wouldn't see him again.  
  
'My dad would absolutely kill me.' Ash jumped onto a branch high in the tree and took a census of what was going on in town.  
  
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Ash sighed in relief. Jumping out of the tree line, Ash headed to the 'bad' side of the tracks. Ash would have to take a short cut to get to work on time.   
  
'That's odd,' Ash thought as he neared "Bruce's Parts and Welding Junkyard". 'No sign of Mr. Ego Trip and company. They usually wait for me 'round here somewhere.' Ash turned the corner to the street where he worked and saw an amazing sight.   
  
"...And make sure you never bother him again!" scolded Officer Jenny. Ash ducked back around the corner to listen in. Justin, Mike and Trevor stood there talking with Officer Jenny.  
  
'This is weird.' Ash wondered, 'Why would Officer Jenny be bothering to come down here and scold these three clowns? I hope this has nothing to do with me.'  
  
"But Officer Jenny," whined Justin, "we haven't done anything. Besides, we would never pick on anyone. Right fellas?" Mike and Trevor were elbowed in the ribs.  
  
"Right!" the two answered in unison. Ash inwardly moaned. This was about him.  
  
"Ash is the best shot I have in the upcoming tournament to break a record. I will not," Officer Jenny pointed at the would-be offenders, "I repeat, NOT have him put out of commission because of your pranks. If anything happens to him, I will hold you three personally responsible." Ash jumped into the doorway of a nearby building as Officer Jenny charged down the street.  
  
'Nice one,' Ash groaned. 'Now they'll really have it in for me.'  
  
"We lay off of Mr. Speedy for a while, guys," declared Justin suddenly. Ash, in total shock, leaned over to hear him better.  
  
"What? Why?" asked Mike. Trevor had the same question so he crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. Justin gave one with a scowl.  
  
"There's something that's been bothering me since that twerp got here. Have you guys noticed that we haven't once caught him?" Both boys nodded.  
  
"Who else have we tried to catch for weeks on end, for years, but failed?" Ash held in a breath. "He may not be that little A kid we used to chase around here but he's cut from the same cloth. We won't catch him even if we tried our best." Ash crept away while the creeping was good. Interesting as the topic was, it would have to wait until after work. Ash came out of an alley, three blocks down from the trio and sped-walked into work.  
  
"Hi Mr. Bruce," Ash greeted his boss. The look on Mr. Bruce's face made Ash stop for a moment. "Something the matter sir?" Ash asked nervously. Mr. Bruce was an old grump with the stereotypical receding hairline and sour face. Today though 'Old Bruce' looked less...grumpy.   
  
"Nothing's wrong," Bruce replied. "Just the man I wanted to see. Let's have a talk boy." Ash was very, VERY nervous now. Bruce never had a talk with the hired help unless it was to fire them. Ash gulped down his fear and managed a quirky smile.  
  
"About what sir?" Bruce motioned for Ash to follow him into...HIS OFFICE! Warning bells rang in Ash's head. Ash followed him into the small shack building and sat down.  
  
"I hear you're going to the tournament," Bruce began. Ash managed a nod. "Pressured?" Bruce asked. Ash didn't know what to say. Ash said the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"A little." Bruce nodded.  
  
"I see. Now don't think I'm being unfair or anything but..."  
  
'Here it comes,' Ash thought, expecting a pink slip.   
  
"...what would you say to me promoting you to my second?" Ash nearly fell over in shock.   
  
"What!?" Ash squeaked. Before Ash could say another word Bruce interrupted.  
  
"Ever since you came here two and a half months ago, you learned fast. I've never seen a faster person sorting scrap, fixing appliances and welding projects together. It would be a shame to let all that talent go to waste but unfair to Officer Jenny too. As my second, you would be on shorter hours and be paid more. What do you say?"  
  
"I-I don't know," Ash replied. It was a giant leap from scrapper to second!  
  
"Alright, you force me to use drastic measures." Ash gasped at what Bruce had in his hands. A satellite cell phone! "When I need you, I'll call you on this, deal?"  
  
"What happens if you don't need me?" Ash thought aloud. Before Ash could say he didn't mean that, Bruce had a figure down on a piece of paper.  
  
"Your weekly salary minus the phone-ins, of course." Ash gasped at the amount written on the piece of paper and looked up to see Bruce wink. "Just for you, work or no-work." Ash was stunned at the more than generous offer. "Well, boy?"  
  
"Deal!" Ash almost yelled.   
  
'I'd have to be crazy not to,' he thought.  
  
"Good. Now go off somewhere. I don't need you today. Oh! I forgot something." Ash peered over at Bruce, curious to know what else there was. Bruce brought a computer from out back. "My nephew is in town. Go over to the Candy store and give him this. He'll be there flirting with the owner."  
  
"What's his name?" Ash asked.  
  
"Ken." Ash's jaw fell ever so slightly, not noticeable compared to his life on the Journeys, but drastically for his new life. Thankfully, Bruce didn't notice. Ken, his buddy Ken? "He just came back from school," Bruce continued, "with his buddy, Gizmo. Gizmo's a whiz at fixing computers." Ash gathered up the computer along with his wits and put the computer in a bag and set off to Candy's place.  
  
'Hail, hail, the gang's all here,' Ash thought. Ash turned onto the street where Candy's shop was. Ash was in a very good mood. Ash hadn't seen his friends in years and Ken was a special friend to Ash.  
****  
  
Ash was sitting on a chair in the flower shop. Candy was busy today, Gizmo was on a trip with Robert and he had not yet met Sheri. Ash was here with his father and was severely bored.  
  
"Dad? Can I go outside for a while?" Ash asked sweetly. Mark looked down at the five-year old's bambi eyes and was immediately suckered.   
  
"Don't go too far. We have other things to do today as well." Ash nodded and made a be-line for the door. "Kids," Mark muttered. Outside was beautiful! It was the perfect summer day.   
  
'Too bad no one's here to play with me,' Ash thought a bit sadly. Ash spotted a bug on the ground and began to watch it. A boy around Ash's age and who was just as bored noticed Ash from across the street.  
  
"What is he doing?" the boy wondered. Ash was so absorbed in watching the bug that he was oblivious to the other boy's presence, not even seeing him cross the street.   
  
"What cha look'n at?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Ash gazed up to see a boy with bright yellow hair and brown eyes not unlike his own. Ash's smile greeted the stranger warmly.  
  
"A bug," Ash said simply. The boy looked on the ground where Ash had been staring. "He's gone now. I'm Ash. What's your name?" The boy hesitated before answering.   
  
"I'm Kenith." Ash made a face at the sound of a proper name. "Something the matter with it?" Kenith asked when he saw the face.  
  
"I hate it when someone calls me by my full name. Usually it means that I'm in trouble. Do you mind if I call you ken or Little K?" Ash asked. The boy gave Ash a skeptical look.   
  
"Why Little K?" he questioned. Ash smiled.  
  
"Because we're not big enough to be called Big A or K. You want to play with me?" he said matter-of-factly. Ken thought about it for a moment.  
  
"I usually don't play with kids," Ken started to say. Before Ken could get out another word, Ash was already showing him around the town.  
****  
  
Ken only warmed up to Ash because Ash had made the effort first. Ash smiled at the memories as he walked into the Candy store. Sure enough, there the four of them were in a booth; Robert, Sheri, Gizmo and Ken. Candy was behind the counter serving someone when she noticed Ash.   
  
"Oh, hello," Candy greeted in her ultra-friendly voice. Ash smiled back. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Not today. I'm looking for Gizmo." Candy looked over the counter and saw the computer. Candy giggled and pointed to the booth. Ash neared the booth and saw that nothing had really changed.  
  
'Same hair, same eyes. Heck, same styles even. Am I the only one that seems to change around here?' Ash made his way over to the booth. There was a roar of laughter and he smiled again. It was good to see the gang all together after Ash's departure for so long.  
  
"R-remember the time that Little A got into his head to pay back Justin for picking on Gizmo? You know, the prank with the purple jello and the flower shop?" reminded Sheri. Ash stopped. Ash could remember putting purple jello in the overhang of the flower shop and unfurling it right when the terrible trio passed by.  
  
"How could I forget?" laughed Gizmo. "I never thought he could pull it off! Then...Splat. Oh! It was a beautiful thing."  
  
"Yeah? Well that's not half as good as his fountain-water prank." At the mere mention of Ash's infamous water works job, the whole group gave a loud whoop of laughter.   
  
"I still don't know how he did it!" gasped Robert between gales of laughter.  
  
"I do," Ken said simply. The group stopped laughing.  
  
"How?" they all demanded at once. Ken had a big sweat drop form on his head before he answered.  
  
"OK! OK! I'll tell you. He had this thing planned for weeks, all right? What he did was set up a specific area to drench everything that moved. When it came to the night before the water war, Ash crept out of his house and set it all up."  
  
"Right, go on," urged Robert.  
  
"So he knew exactly what not to do to set off any of his traps. That's when he lured the terrible trio over." All of the faces around the table waited in anticipation and smiled at the remembrance of Mike, Trevor and Justin soaked in blue water.   
  
"They never could prove that he did it!" Gizmo roared. Gizmo suddenly stopped laughing.  
  
"Gizmo?" Robert asked, instantly worried. Gizmo had take Little A's disappearance from their lives the hardest. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Fine, it-it's just that..." Ash decided that now was the time to interrupt their little gathering. Gizmo looked pretty upset. "I miss him."  
  
"Gizmo?" Ash asked. The red haired boy snapped out of his gloom when he heard the unfamiliar voice call his name.  
  
"That's me." Ash held out the bag that contained computer parts.  
  
"Bruce sent these over for you," Ash said with a smile. Gizmo took the bag, gratefully and put it down by his feet. Ash was about to say something when a slap hit his shoulder.   
  
"You lucky bug!" laughed Jack. "I just heard about your promotion. Congads, pal." Ash sighed. Jack was a thorn in Ash's side ever since he was forced into cadet training by his father.  
  
"Thanks," Ash replied with little enthusiasm. The conversation from the table went back up again. What Ash didn't realize was that one voice didn't join in. Ken was staring at Ash's face, trying to make sense of what he saw.  
  
'It can't be, can it?' Ken thought to himself. 'Those eyes, that spiky hair, his voice! It is! Little A!'   
  
"Bye Jack," Ash said with a wave. Ash walked out of the store quickly. Jack was easily the most annoying person there was. He wasn't bad or anything, just a pest. Ash was a little disappointed that none of his friends seemed to remember him enough to recognize him.  
  
'Maybe I should just tell them,' Ash thought as he walked down the main street. He then decided against it. 'They probably don't need me anymore anyway. They, have new lives, and I'm not a part of them anymore.'  
  
"Bring! Bring!" Ash was startled by the sound of his new cell phone ringing.   
  
'Already?' he thought as he took out the phone and flipped it open.  
  
"Yeah?" Ash asked.  
  
"Sorry to bug you, but there's a special order just come in. I need you here." Ash sighed. Already 'The Man' was paging him.   
  
"I'll be right there." Ash jumped a fence and went to cut through an alley. Ash made his way back to his work place and went strait for the shack.  
  
"Here he is!" Bruce announced as soon as Ash entered. Three figures sat in Bruce's business chairs. Ash saw the Meowth and inwardly groaned. "I don't even have my Pikachu and they still find ways to follow, find and annoy me," he thought. Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, in disguise of course, were doing business with his boss.  
  
"This is the young man who will be building our tra-er...surprise?" asked Jessie. Ash paled a bit.  
  
"Sure is. He's my second around here. Here's the plans Ash, you know what to do." Ash was shoved plans and blueprints and hurried out the door.  
  
"Team Rocket! I'm going to need help on this!" Ash looked down at the blueprints and got a wicked idea.  
  
"Did you hear dat?" Meowth whispered to Jessie. "Dat guy called dat kid Ash!!" They were walking out of the junkyard.  
  
"Shut up Meowth!" snapped James. Ash watched the Rockets leave and smiled. The trio entered an alley and took off their costumes.  
  
"I'm tell'n ya I don't like this deal," Meowth said in a growl.  
  
"It's just a coincidence Meowth," Jessie dismissed the feline pokemon's concerns with an arrogant smirk. "We might have no idea where the twerp is but Pikachu is definitely coming here."  
  
"We're going to capture that Pikachu while the twerp's out of the way. This time Pikachu won't have a chance," added James.  
  
"Dat kid's trouble! I think that he really is Ash," insisted Meowth.  
  
"Stop being such a worry wart Meowth," Jessie said, her mood brightening. "Besides, that kid didn't have any pokemon. What trouble could he be?"  
  
'Plenty,' Ash thought with a grim. Ash was on the other side of the alley, up in the fire escape. 'Just you wait and see what I have in store for you.' Ash waited until they left before coming down the escape. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter4  
  
"See you tomorrow Bruce," Ash called out over his shoulder. Ash had a few days work before the project had to be completed. It was pretty much done already, but there were just a few additions that Ash wanted to make. Just for Team Rocket.  
  
'They try anything here!' Ash let the thought hang in his mind. Ash secretly enjoyed getting the chance to make Team Rocket blast off again.  
  
"Hey!" Ash heard a voice calling him from behind. Ash didn't worry too much because of what happened this morning with Officer Jenny and the terrible trio.   
  
"Someone call me?" Ash asked turning around, expecting to see Justin and the rest of the pests. To Ash's surprise, it was Ken. Ken had a big grin on his face as he held something to Ash. Ash recognized his trademark card as Little A: a dart with a thunderbolt down each side.  
  
"I could always recognize you no matter how you tried to hide yourself," Ken said simply. Ash felt a tear fall down his cheek.  
  
"You're the only one that remembers," Ash said, trying not to cry. Ken leapt forward and grabbed Ash in a fierce hug. The street was deserted so Ash let his tears out. After a couple of seconds Ash realized that Ken was crying too!  
  
"You stubborn mule! Why didn't you say anything?" Ken asked once they had separated. Ash looked around and grabbed Ken's hand.  
  
"Not here. Let's go on a walkabout." Ash dragged Ken to the edge of the town and sat down.  
  
"You seem quieter than normal. I something wrong?" Ash sighed and put an arm on his neck. Ken watched Ash struggle to find the words to tell him what had happened to him. "Don't think. Just start from what you did once you got back."  
  
"That's the problem. It doesn't start from when I got back. Do you remember why I left?" Ash asked Ken. Ken nodded. "I've stayed with my mother in Pallet Town since then. More or less, anyway."  
  
"What?!" gasped Ken. Ken always assumed that Ash had gone to stay with family, but his mother?  
  
"Just listen. When I was ten, she let me go on a pokemon journey." Ken's eyes got as big as dish plates.   
  
"She did what!?" Ken nearly yelled. "Your father…"  
  
"Wasn't around to stop her," Ash interrupted. "I started out terribly but rose to the challenge. I was still on my journey when father returned."  
  
"Right!" Ken said, a bit skeptical. "So what happened?" Ash's eyes shaded a bit.  
  
"He made me leave my pokemon with my mother and I came back. Boy, was he ever angry with me. I'm working in the junkyard and becoming a cadet as well." Ken fell over at this news.  
  
"Wha-what? Where do you have any time for yourself? Sheri's going to blow a gasket when she finds out that you can't return to piano lessons!"  
  
"That's not the half of it. Dad is giving me the lessons again." Ken went quiet and serious in less than a nano second. Ken had heard from Ash what these lessons were and what they entailed. Ken could remember the horror stories that Ash had told him as a kid concerning Mark's lessons.  
  
"No wonder you haven't been saying anything. Are you alright?" Ash adverted his eyes for a moment. "Ash?"  
  
"Fine. If you must know, no! I'm not alright! I'm stressed, I'm tired and I'm lonesome!" Ash yelled. In the whole time Ash had been in Cherry Canyon, he never admitted it to himself.  
  
"Whoah! Chill out!" Ken said as soon as Ash was finished. As just realized what he said and blushed.   
  
"I-I'm sorry," Ash muttered. To Ash's surprise, Ken shrugged it off.  
  
"Not a prob! I can see why you're stressed. I would be too in your situation. Two jobs? Small wonder you're not collapsed on the ground with fatigue. As for the lonesome part.." Ash could all ready see the wheels turning in Ken's head.  
  
"I don't have time for a girlfriend!" Ash growled good-naturedly. Ken put on a smile that reminded Ash of a car salesman.  
  
"Riiigght. You just got promoted to second, right?" Ash nodded. "You have the best marks in your cadet class, correct?"  
  
"How'd you know about that?" Ash asked surprised. Ken just rolled his eyes.  
  
"Puh-lease! Everything you go out for, you totally dominate in."  
  
"Am I that predictable?" Ash sputtered. Ken laughed hard.  
  
"Th-that's the only thing that is predictable about you. That and that you're unpredictable." Ash was not amused. "So why don't we go to Candy's and announce that Little A is back in town?" Ash sighed deeply.  
  
"Can't. Dad's put me on a short leash. I have a curfew. Besides, I don't want anyone to know I'm Little A just yet." Ash received a look of disbelief from Ken.  
  
"Why not? It would make your life so much easier. Not to mention make you Mr. Popular with the ladies around here." Ash gave Ken a death glare.  
  
"Enough with the dating junk!" Ash nearly shouted. Ken gave Ash his best winning smile.  
  
"I'm just teasing. Look, I'll keep it secret for now, but you have to promise me something." Ash looked up to see Ken moving toward him.  
  
"What?" Ash asked suspiciously. Ken stopped when he was just towering over Ash's sitting position. Before Ash could react, Ken put him in a headlock and was rubbing his hair fast and furious.  
  
"That you won't be a stranger." Ash was struggling against Ken and was feeling a bit better. "Say it!"  
  
"Alright! I won't be a stranger." Ken let Ash out from under his arm. Ken watched Ash walk out of sight and smiled.  
  
"That's a promise, Ashura, so don't you forget it!"   
  
"Acck!" Ash squawked when he realized that he wasn't going to make curfew.   
  
"Oh, great! Dad won't like this. I've been way too late lately." Ash sighed. "I'm so late already that I may as well go see Silver. Wait a minute! Officer Jenny didn't notice that he was missing today." Ash stopped running for a second.   
  
"That's odd," Ash mumbled to himself. "What would Officer Jenny be doing that she wouldn't have time to check up on her pokemon?" Then is hit Ash.  
  
"The tournament!" Officer Jenny was so busy with the arrangements for next week that she forgot. "Lucky for me and Silver." Ash whistled a tune on his way to the tree house, no longer in a hurry. This was Ash's favorite thing to do: whistle as loud and clear as he could where no one could hear him.  
  
"Whoops!" Ash said suddenly, remembering about the broken gadget he found earlier that day. It was on route so he fixed it on the way. Ash neared the tree house finally and heard a great commotion.  
  
"Raugh!" came a Gyarados' s growl. Ash sped into a nice fast run.  
  
"Please don't let it be concerned with Silver," Ash silently prayed. Sure enough, when Ash entered the clearing Silvermane was in the middle of it.  
  
"What's going on here?" demanded Ash. Magic, Arrow, Digger, and Blue were arguing with each other. Arrow, Ash's Areodactyle friend, was pinning Silvermane to the ground. When Ash's voice interrupted them, everyone grew silent.  
  
"Growl!" Silvermane shouted. Arrow released the fire pokemon reluctantly and Silvermane bolted for Ash. Ash was nearly knocked over by the pokemon's tackle.  
  
"Anyone care to explain?" Ash asked in neutral tones. When no one answered he sighed.  
  
"Both sides must be at fault for this fight. Oh well, the good must balance the bad." Ash walked into the group and sat down.   
  
"Come here guys." Digger jumped from his perch on a rock and sat next to Ash. Blue took the other side while Arrow took Ash's back. Magic, a very sheepish looking Gyarados, put his head on Ash's feet. Silver sat on Ash's lap, making Digger jealous.  
  
"Lar-vitar-lar-tar?" asked Digger. Ash decided it was time to tell the pokemon the truth.  
  
"I've been keeping a secret from you all," Ash began quietly. The pokemon exchanged glances.   
  
"Gyarr?" Magic asked. Ash understood Magic's worried look rather than the noise it made. Ash knew that this was going to be a shock to his pokemon.  
  
"When I disappeared when I was eight, there was a reason. You know that my father was kidnapped, right?" All the pokemon nodded.  
  
'They know? Good, then I won't have to explain,' Ash thought before continuing.   
  
"Then you also know that my mother came and tool me to Pallet." The pokemon nodded again. Ash began to get nervous.  
  
'This is the hard part.' Ash took a deep breath to calm his nerves.   
  
"What you don't know is that I was so down and depressed about it that my mother did her best to help me forget. I'm sorry to say that it worked. I forgot all about my life here in Cherry Canyon and become happy again."  
  
"Lar!?!" No other pokemon spoke for several moments.  
  
"It's called selective amnesia. I chose to forget, but that didn't last forever. When I was ten she sent me on a pokemon journey to keep me occupied. I was still on it when my father escaped and came home."  
  
"Dra-tini-dra-ti-ni-dra?" Ash smiled at the question.  
  
"Yes I was taken home." Ash chuckled at the memories. "I remembered everything I had forgotten within two weeks." Ash felt a trickle of water fall down his cheeks. "And that's what hurts."  
  
"Rauggh" Ash looked up to met Magic's fierce mug. Magic had tears in his eyes too. Silvermane, still parked on Ash's lap, jumped up and licked Ash's tears away. Ash looked to see that all his pokemon were crying.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ash said horrified. "I didn't mean to upset all of you. I'm-mphf?" Ash was cut off by a dragon pokemon wrapping its body around Ash's mouth. Blue shook his head at Ash and then released Ash's mouth.  
  
"Lar-vitar!" Ash was suddenly in the middle of big group hug.  
  
"You guys are the best!" Ash sobbed. Then a clap of thunder interrupted the touching moment. Ash looked up to see a storm brewing.   
  
'Great. Now I have an excuse not to go home tonight. I'll blame it on the weather.' Ash smiled. This meant he could spend the night with his friends.  
  
"Inside! Quick!" Later Ash was in his designated hammock with his pokemon around him. Silver hat to bunk with Ash, Digger and Blue shared the other hammock, Magic slept beneath Ash on the floor while Arrow took the branches above. Ash fell asleep listening to the splatter of rain and the cooing of his pals.  
****  
  
"Daddy! I got a bite!" a four-year old Ash giggled. Mark let out a sigh and walked over to Ash's perch beside the canyon river.  
  
"What do you have there boy?" Mark asked as he made his way over to his son. Ash was bouncing up and down with excitement.   
  
"He probably caught bottom again," Mark thought. When he neared Ash he gasped. As really did have something on his line!  
  
"Don't let go, guy!" Mark ran up to Ash. Before he could get there though, the young boy gave a mighty jerk on the line and something came up.  
  
"Carp-carp!" Mark was speechless. There was a pokemon at Ash's feet.  
  
"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" Ash cried in excitement. Then Ash realized something. "Umm...Dad? What did I get?" Ash asked. Mark found his voice.  
  
"You caught a Magicarp," Mark said.  
  
"Yahh! I caught a Magicarp! Uuh..Dad? Now what do I do?" Ash asked staring down at the pokemon flopping on the ground.  
  
"Now we release it," Mark said with a splutter. Ash gave his father a confused look.   
  
"Why would we let it go if I worked so hard to catch it?" Mark gathered up the pokemon and sat Ash down.  
  
"It's time I told you about pokemon." Ash's eyes lit up at the mention of the popular animals. "You see pokemon are living breathing things like you and me. People catch them with pokeballs and train them."  
  
"They are called pokemon trainers!" Ash interrupted. Mark was a little surprised at what the boy knew about the topic. Ash blabbed on about pokemon for a few minutes. "…And they use pokemon to battle each other."  
  
"And that's why you're not becoming one," Mark stated. Ash stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"Why not?" Ash whimpered. Mark sighed. This was going to be a long talk.  
  
"Ash, do you like to see people get hurt?" Ash's response was automatic.  
  
"No!"  
  
"That means that you don't like people hurting other people, right?" Ash nodded. "You see, when a person becomes a pokemon trainer they become friends with their pokemon. When that happens you force your friends to fight." Ash knew where his father was going.  
  
"And if my friends fight, they might get hurt," Ash finished for him. Mark was amazed at Ash's intelligence level.  
  
"That's right and that's why we have to release this Magicarp." Ash stopped Mark.  
  
"But why? I won't force him to fight. He can be my friend without having to battle." Mark thought for a moment.  
  
"Ash, do you like this pokemon?" Mark asked. Ash nodded. "When someone we like can't stay with us, you have to let them go. They wouldn't be happy if they were forced to stay. Do you want to see this pokemon sad?"  
  
"No," Ash responded sadly. Mark set the pokemon back in the water and let it go. Ash watched the pokemon leave.  
  
'When I become a trainer, I won't let my pokemon get hurt or force them to battle. Then I can show the world that forcing pokemon to battle is wrong. Pokemon should only fight when they want to,' Ash thought to himself. Ash saw a sparkle of water as Magicarp jumped out of the water. Ash then was struck with another thought.   
  
"Daddy? Is that why you and mommy aren't together? Mommy couldn't stay with you so you let her go?" Taken aback by Ash's question, Mark managed a swift reply.  
  
"Something like that. Come on, time for your cooking lessons." Ash bounded back to the truck with his rod.  
  
'Something like that,' Mark thought as he watched his son.  
****  
  
"I want to take a book out on pokemon, please." Robert looked around for the voice that asked for the book.  
  
"Who said that?" Robert was surprised to see a small boy getting up on a chair to talk to him.  
  
"I did," Ash said with a smile. Robert was shocked to see someone so young ask for a pokemon book.  
  
"Do you want a picture book?" Robert asked the boy. Ash gave Robert a do-I-look-stupid-or-do-you-think-I'm-two type of look.  
  
"No, I want a book on pokemon," Ash insisted. Robert, not knowing what else to do, showed the young boy the pokemon section. Robert received a thank you from Ash and a big smile.  
  
'Nice kid,' thought Robert. 'Polite, quiet and curious.' Robert knew Ash needed a book somewhat less meaty on which to 'cut his teeth' so to speak. The problem was that they didn't have any pokemon beginner guides. Robert then watched Ash in fascination for weeks. Ash would walk in, sit down and seemed to devour one book after another. One day…  
  
"Robert?" came a small voice from below him. Robert was putting books away and was startled.   
  
"Whoa!" Robert yelped in surprise. Ash was nearly K.O.ed by a book Robert was trying to put on the shelve. Robert came down the ladder to retrieve the book and make sure that Ash was all right.   
  
"Here." Robert looked up to see the book being handed up to him.  
  
"Thank you Ash," Robert said kindly. Robert put the book away and came back down. "You needed something?" Ash smiled at Robert sadly and sighed.  
  
"I need your help. I can't find anymore books that I haven't already read on pokemon."  
Ash marched over to the 'P' section of the library; to Robert's surprise all the books were there. No one had any pokemon books out at all!  
  
"Ash you're not telling me that you could have possibly read all these books!" Robert exclaimed. "There're practically one hundred books here." Ash gave a small whistle and nodded anyway. That was the day that Robert and Little A, as most people called him, started Little A's reading program. Robert never thought he could possibly learn as much as he did by teaching someone else. As time went by, Ash and Robert grew close and Robert was inducted into the Little Society.  
****  
  
"I hate this," Ash growled to himself. "Every time I have a lesson with father, I get knocked on my butt." Mark was sweaty and hot. Every time Ash had a lesson Mark was forced to take a long shower afterward.   
  
"Crimny! Where does he get all his energy from?" Mark growled to himself. "I'm not doing anything but teaching him and I'm exhausted." Ash stood up again.  
  
"Want to try that move again?" Mark asked. Ash nodded and got back in his fighting stance. "Now this time, predict what move I make and instinctively avoid it."  
  
"Right," Ash muttered. Mark faked a light left jab and brought right leg up. "Wooofff!" Ash yelped when his father gently hit him in the midsection. Mark sighed inwardly.  
  
"Use your instincts! Everyone has instinct boy and it's about time you started to use yours." Now Ash sighed inwardly.  
  
"Dad, how can I use my instincts when I don't exactly know what they are?" Ash said. Mark had not thought that his son wasn't in tune with his instincts.  
  
"Fish heads! You mean that all this time I've been teaching you to fight without your instincts! Maybe we had better have our lesson outside tomorrow." Ash gulped. Ash was doing something important tomorrow with his poke-pals.  
  
"Can't we have the remainder of today's lesson outside?" Ash asked quickly. Mark looked down to see Ash's now famous puppy dog eyes and groaned.  
  
'Where did he learn to do that?' Mark thought in a grumble. ' I swear! You can never say no to eyes like that. I wonder if it works on his mother like it works on me…probably.'  
  
"Fine! Come along boy," Mark finally said. Ash's eyes seemed to brighten up.  
  
"Yaaay! Outside!" Ash bounded up the steps from the basement with Mark in tow. Mark was still amazed at the energy level Ash had.  
  
'He must have gotten this energy from his mother because I'm exhausted!' Mark was dragged outside by Ash.  
  
"Alright, now what?" Ash asked excited. Ash never had his lesson outside before and was a little rambunctious.  
  
"Sit," Mark ordered. Ash sat down on the well-kept grass. "Now then, don't move and close your eyes." Ash did as he was told and closed his eyes. "Now, when you hear me hitting the side of the house with a rock, tell me where I am."  
  
"Why?" Ash asked, curious. Mark could have thought Ash was being flippant, but Ash was never flippant: especially during a lesson.  
  
"We're going to test how good your instincts are. You won't be able to see me and you won't be able to hear me. You'll solely be reaching out to find me with your instincts. Let's begin."  
  
'Now where to first?' Mark asked himself. Ash was delighted in this new game his father had thought up. Ash waited on the ground for about three minutes before he heard it.  
  
"Thump!" Ash heard a rock hit the side of the house to his right.  
  
"Ummm your behind the water barrel?" Ash guessed. Mark shook his head. Mark was on the other side of the yard. The remainder of the day was spent Ash guessing and missing where his father was in the yard.  
  
"No more Ash, time to go eat." Ash opened his eyes and was startled. Mark was on the other side of the yard from where Ash had last guessed.  
  
'Eeep!' Ash thought glumly. Ash was taken inside and shown how to cook chicken curry. That night Mark tucked Ash in, but he didn't go to sleep. 'Maybe I should work on trying to trust my instincts. Dad wasn't too pleased with me.'  
****  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon or anything related to pokemon. Pokemon and its associated characters are copyrighted by Nintendo/Game Freak. This is a pokemon fanfic created by my mind only.  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Disaclaimer blah blah blah. Here's the story!!  
  
Ash woke up with a headache. 'Good thing today's my day off,' Ash thought as he became aware of his other surroundings. Ash was in the tree house surrounded by his pokemon friends.  
  
"Ohhh!" Ash moaned as he got up. Ash remembered how cold the floor was after her stepped on it. Ash grumbled as he made his way through the mess for his clothes. Ash's friends woke up slowly.  
  
"Draaa?" Blue asked sleepily. Digger was doing his best to ignore the pokemon beside him and rolled over. Arrow was already gone, looking for its breakfast and Magic was just waking up.  
  
"Shh!" Ash hissed as he put a finger to his lips. "I'll be back later today. I have to do chores at home. I'll be back around midday if father doesn't want to do a lesson."  
  
"Growl-lith-grow-lithe?" Silver jumped off of Ash's hammock and ran up to him "Growl?" Ash took a moment before ht realized what Silver wanted.   
  
"You have to stay here buddy. If my father found out that part of my cadet training is also pokemon training, there goes one job." Silver looked a little confused before Blue jumped off of its shared sleeping space and urged Ash to go.  
  
"Dra-tini-dra-tini-tini-dra." Ash was being pushed towards the tree house entrance. Ash understood once he saw Blue's eye.  
  
"You'll explain the situation, then?" Ash asked the dragon pokemon. Blue nodded. "Thanks!" Ash then set off to his house via the speed route. Ash snuck into his house and began to cook breakfast.  
  
"Morning boy," Mark said from the doorway. Ash didn't even bother to turn around to speak to his father.   
  
"Morning dad. What do you want for breakfast? Waffles are on the table, toast is in the toaster and juice is in the fridge," Ash said simply. Then Ash noticed something; his father had called him 'boy' again, not champ. "Something the matter?" Ash asked.  
  
"What?" was Mark's only reply. Ash threw another batch of waffles into the waffle iron.   
  
"You seem anxious. Is something wrong dad?" Ash tried again. Mark sat down at the table.   
  
"Ash sit down for a moment," Mark ordered. Ash flopped the newly cooked waffles onto a plate and joined his father. "Where were you last night?" Ash nearly choked on his food.  
  
"What?" Ash asked after taking a long drink of juice. Ash was hoping that he heard the question wrong. Mark repeated the same question again. Ash was a little surprised and a bit annoyed that his father would ask.  
  
'Since when did you ever think to check up on me?' he thought. Ash's retort came out a little more bitter than he had intended.  
  
"I ran into Ken yesterday." Mark's eyes got a little bit bigger. "We got to talking and before I knew it…"  
  
"…It was after curfew," Mark said. Ash nodded. Mark wasn't satisfied with just that. "Where did you sleep last night?" Ash sighed.  
  
"Over at a friend's house. I figured there was no way I was going to make it home in time so I…"  
  
"…Didn't even bother coming home at all," Mark finished for him again. Ash didn't like the tone that Mark was using; it reminded him of a scolding his mother gave him once. The you-know-better-than-that scold. "Ash, I understand why you stayed our past curfew, but…"  
  
'Here it comes,' Ash thought.  
  
"…You shouldn't be staying out past curfew all the time. I hardly see your bed slept in and quite frankly, I'm a bit worried about were you do sleep. The curfew's in place so I get to see you at night, not to drive you away entirely!" Mark half yelled.  
  
"I would be home more often if you extended the curfew. The problem is that I get off at five and the curfew is seven," Ash said bitterly.  
  
"So?" Mark asked, not seeing the point.  
  
"So? So I only have two hours to get our groceries together, seeds for the greenhouse, and get them all home. It takes me an hour to walk to town dad, and that's not with all that stuff!" Mark now saw the problem.   
  
"Great heavens, boy! Why didn't you tell me?" Mark roared. Ash went silent for a moment.  
  
"If I had told you, would you have listened?" Ash asked quietly.  
  
"Of course I would have! Ash what makes you think that…" Mark stopped dead mid-sentence. Mark remembered what he had said to Ash the second time they entered the house.  
****  
  
"Here's home, Ash," Mark announced with flourish as soon as they pulled into the driveway. Ash looked out the window to see a small white house with a deck out front and a hammock to one side. Ash's enthusiasm leapt up one level when he saw a shed off to one side.   
  
"Home?" Ash asked in a daze. Mark looked over to see Ash still in his sorry state of gloom. It was all the harder to accept that his boy had a memory loss, but his entire personality had completely turned around. Mark was followed inside by Ash.  
  
"First things first, boy! We set the ground rules. One: you don't disturb my work. Two: you have a problem try to fix it yourself before coming to me. Three: there will be a curfew. Miss it and you sleep somewhere else. Four: you have chores. I expect you to do them. There are no exceptions."  
****  
  
'What have I been putting this boy through?' Mark wondered. 'For crying out loud! He took me too literally.' Ash interrupted Mark's thoughts.  
  
"Well? You made it quite clear that you didn't want to be bothered, so I didn't bother you."  
  
"Fish heads!" Mark growled. "I'm your father! You're my son! I'm supposed to be bothered by you! At least some of the time." Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"You-you mean you want me to bother you?" Ash asked uncertainly.  
  
"No, I want you to TALK to me!" Mark shouted. A moment of silence passed between father and son. "Damn it, this is exactly what I mean. You shut up when I want you to speak and speak when I want you to shut up. Well? Say something!" Mark said as he slammed his hands down on the table. Ash's face gave nothing away.   
  
"Dad?" Ash asked.   
  
"What!?"  
  
"I hope you weren't hungry dad," Ash said suddenly. Mark was stopped short, confused by the comment. Ash continued, "'Cause you just squished your breakfast." Mark looked down to see where his hands had slammed on the table, right in the middle of his breakfast. "Hope you like your waffles extra flat. Wash up after you're done. Bye." Mark just stood there, hands in his breakfast, watching Ash leave out the front door.  
  
"He has to get that from his mother," Mark grumbled, removing his hands from his food. "Definitely his mother," Mark repeated.  
  
'That was close,' Ash thought as he ran down his driveway. 'Dad almost found out that I slept outside.' Ash then stopped and leaned against a tree.   
  
"Wheww!" Ash gasped. Ash then realized that he had the entire day off. It was the first time Ash had free time in nearly three months. Ash let out a whoop of joy.  
  
'Now, what am I going to do with myself today?' Ash asked himself. Before Ash cold come up with and answer…  
  
"Hey Ash!" Ash turned and was amazed to see someone coming his way.  
  
"Ken?" Ash asked, "Is that you?" The person, Ken Ash saw in amazement, was literally tearing up the path on his bike. Ken came to a screeching halt in front of Ash. "What are you dong here?" Ash asked.  
  
"You got the day off, right?" Ken panted. Ash nodded. Ken then put a smile on his face that would have scared a ghost pokemon.  
  
"Uhh, why?" Ash asked, incredibly nervous. The smile didn't leave Ken's face, making Ash all the more nervous.  
  
"Oh, you'll see. Trust me!" Ash shot Ken a meaningful gaze and said in a questioning tone,   
  
"Ken?" Not even stopping, Ken continued his little speech.   
  
"Haven't forgotten your old pastime have you?" Ken gave Ash a wink. "You know, the one that your dad never knew about?"  
  
"You don't mean…" Ash got a Butterfree in his stomach just remembering that pastime. When Ash was seven, Ken pulled a few strings with his older brother Johnathan, the dare-devil. Ash was young when he met Arrow, so he wasn't afraid of heights, but nothing had prepared him for that adventure.  
  
"Uh-huh," Ken said with another wink. Before Ash knew it, he was back on the air strip, talking to Big J.  
  
"Long time, no see, squirt," J said as soon as he saw Ash. Ash remembered him with straight hair that was a natural brown and an overconfident smile. The smile was the same but his hair was a dyed blue and red combination now.  
  
"Hi Bro. Are we going up alone?" Ken asked. Ash visibly paled.  
  
"Nope, sorry. Some of the locals want to go up. Gotta make a living some way, ya know."  
  
"Bummer," was Ken's response. Ash had a chock hold on Ken just after that exchange and dragged him off.   
  
"What do you think you're doing!?! I thought we only came here for a visit!" Ash shouted quietly, as it there was a thing. "You never said anything about going SKY DIVING!" Ash's voice had dropped to a near whisper.  
  
"That's my surprise," Ken said with a grin. "You haven't lost that old champion sky diving spirit have you?" Ken sneered, trying to goad his friend. Ash let the other boy out of a headlock and grabbed the front of his shirt instead. Veins were popping out of his forehead.  
  
"It's been years since I've been skydiving!" Before Ash could shake the living daylights out of Ken, a very familiar voice was heard.  
  
"Hey look! It's the rocket propelled runt! What are you doing here? Come to watch the big boys show their courage?" Snickered Trevor. Ash let go of Ken.  
  
"No way!" Ash growled. Justin and Mike walked over to Ken and Ash.  
  
"Hey Ken. What 'cha doing with the wimp? Giving him sympathy lessons?" Ash by now had steam pouring out of his ears. Ken noticed that Ash was angry and decided to make things interesting.  
  
"It's the first time he's going up this year," Ken walked causal around Ash. "He's a bit nervous." Ash was now a nice shade of purple.  
  
"Wha-I AM NOT!" Ash growled. "Traitor." Ash whispered in a hoarse voice to Ken. Ken gave a smug look to Ash.   
  
"Chicken eh?" Trevor sniggered. "Can't say I don't blame him for being afraid. Wimp like that wouldn't have the guts to jump anyway."  
  
"Watch me pal!" Ash growled. "Ken? You got an extra chute?" Ken saw the fire light up in Ash's eyes and gave a inward yelp of joy.  
  
'Now that's the Little A I know.' Ken thought running to one of the lockers. Ken pulled out a red and white bag that hadn't been used since Ash's departure.  
  
"Here Ash. You'll have to modify it to fit but-" Ken gave Ash a wink. "-I think you can manage." Ash grabbed his bag and stormed off to the Pidgeot Streamer; John's airplane.  
  
"You coming or what?" Ash yelled from the plane. The three bullies gave eachother a glance. Ken however, just smiled and grabbed his own parachute and boarded the Pidgeot Streamer.  
  
"How did he know that was the plane?" Justin wondered out loud.  
  
In the air  
  
Ash hadn't felt like this in a long time. The last time Ash felt like this was three months ago battling in the Johto League. Ash was strapped in and ready to go. Ken was the same as Ash, excited and ready to go. The terrible trio was having trouble.  
  
"Is this they're first time?" Ash whispered in a snigger.  
  
"Nope." Ken had to stifle a laugh. "They've gone up three times but no one jumped."  
  
"Target?" Ash asked. Ken gave him a thumbs up.  
  
"Red X, middle of a field." Ash gave Ken a questioning look. "Give me a break 'shura. We have amateurs with us."  
  
"Drop point in two minutes kids," Came a voice over the PA. Mike, Trevor and Justin looked like they were going to throw up. Two minutes later, the door opened.   
  
"What are you doing!?" Justin gasped as Ash neared the door.  
  
"What's it look like?? I'm jumping." Mike, Trevor and Justin just stared. "That is why we came up here in the first place isn't it?"  
  
"Time to go Ash," Ken said with a goofy grin. Ash replied with a confident smirk.  
  
"Race you."  
  
"You're on." Ash jumped the same time as Ken did and plunged downwards to the fields below. Ash could remember flying with Arrow and Pidgeot but, nothing was like freefalling from a plane. Ash and Ken plunged downwards together. Ken suddenly did a spiral midair and gave Ash the 'your turn' signal.  
  
'Let's see.' Ash thought of a trick that could top Ken's and smiled. Ash dove suddenly downwards feet first and began to spin. The adrenaline pumped through Ash's veins. The only time he felt this alive was when he was with his pokemon.  
  
"Yee-hah!" Ash heard Ken yell beside him as soon as Ash was done. Ken went zooming past him and gave Ash a little wave.  
  
"Oh no you don't' Ash thought as he plummeted down after Ken. Ash was giddy, responsive, ALIVE! Ash felt the freedom of the moment and was on it's high. Ash saw Ken pull his cord and grinned stupidly.  
  
'What the?' Ken thought as Ash went blasting by. 'Heh. Ash is in a good mood.' Ash barreled down to terra firma and decided it was time to pull his chord too. Ash spotted the red X a half a mile away.  
  
'Not too far away.' Ash thought with a smirk. Ash gently floated towards the X and say a big box right in the middle. 'Oh ho! Sneaky Ken. Fine I land first.' Ash lowered his decent and within a few minutes was perched inside the box.  
  
"I win!" Ash yelled out loud. Ash looked up to see Ken right on his tail and gave him a peace sign. Ash then scrambled to get his chute out of the way.  
  
"Incomming!" Yelled Ken. Ash ducked just in time to miss being pulverized by a pair of feet. Ash rolled in a few summersaults before he felt it was safe to growl at Ken for nearly knocking his block off. Ken had landed right smack dab in the middle of the X like Ash had done, however.  
  
"Mph! Y-you Ok Ken?" Ken had tripped over the box. "And you asked me if I had lost my diving spirit. You can't even land right without my directions!" Ken laughed. Ken promptly got off his flattened nose and grumbled.  
  
"You would think not jumping for a few years would make a guy rusty." Ash let out a laugh and finished rolling up his chute. Ash looked up and wondered something.  
  
"Hey Ken? Did anyone else jump?" Ash asked looking up into the sky.  
  
"I don't think so," Ken replied with a smirk. "Too young I think." Ash gave Ken an exasperated look.  
  
"Yeah right! And what age did I first jump? Come on Ken!" Ash first jumped when he was seven but he had been riding with Arrow long before that.  
  
"You're a nutcase so age never mattered to you." Ken shot in. Ash gave Ken a grow-up look.  
  
"So what does that make you? An abnormality of nature? You were jumping long before me." Ash shot back. Before Ken could answer the jibe, a truck pulled up. Ash recognized the driver as Ken's older sister Lisa. (Ken has an older brother John and an older sister Lisa).  
  
"Come on you two! Can't be late for lunch or dad'll kill me." Ash and Ken exchanged hungry looks. Before Lisa could even open the truck door, the pair had piled their bags in the back and were climbing in the other side.  
  
"What are we waiting for sis? Lets go eat!" Ken said with drool coming out from the side of his mouth. Ash was a little more couth than that but, not by much.  
  
"Starving are we?" Lisa teased. "Well I shouldn't be surprised, you always had a bottomless pit of a stomach." With that, a brother-sister argument flared up with an 'oh yeah!' 'Yeah!' pattern to it.   
  
'Yesh! I wonder if it was like this for Brock between Misty and I.' Ash listened to the argument for all of five minutes before he put his jacket behind his head and fell asleep. A little later-  
  
"- and Ash agrees with me! Don't you Ash? Ash?" Ken asked puzzled. Ken was too busy with Lisa to notice Ash had fallen asleep. Ash never fell asleep after a dive! He would be on a natural high for at least an hour!   
  
"Ash? Are you telling me that's Little A?" Lisa asked suddenly. Lisa remembered Little A quite well. "Wasn't he the little scoundrel that used to pester me all the time with you? I thought he moved." Ken replied with a grin.  
  
"Ash did but now he's back and better than ever. Be careful! Your precious diary may be in jeopardy again." Lisa paled visibly.   
  
"You wouldn't dare!" Lisa growled at Ken. Ken folded his arms and smiled evilly.   
  
"I might not but he would," Ken replied. Oblivious to his surroundings, Ash sleep right through Lisa's questioning gaze. An hour later, Ash was awoken to the sound of tires squealing and the sudden halt of the truck.  
  
"We're home!" Lisa said in a singsong voice. Ash opened his eyes to see Ken's log cabin home on the outskirts of town.  
  
"More or less in one piece." Ken moaned. "Sis, I love you , but where did you learn to drive!?! I'm having a heart attack here and my favorite pastime is jumping out of airplanes!" Lisa did her best to ignore the comment.  
  
"I got us home didn't I? Is Ash staying for lunch or did you forget to ask him?" Ash bolted upright in his seat and yawned.  
  
"Lunch?" Ash asked drowsily. Ken fell over in his seat anime style and sighed.   
  
"I don't know how you did it but you managed to Sleep right through a ride with my sister let alone survived to tell about the experience. Now you want food poisoning too? You have guts Ash!" Ash wasn't fully awake yet so he was slowly reaching for the door handle to let him and Ken out when-  
  
"That does it! Come'er you!" Lisa growled.  
  
"ACK! Move it Ash!" Ken yelled. Ash was thrust out the door by Ken and was running for the house before he knew it.  
  
"Come back here gremlins!" Lisa yelled in pursuit. Ash ran right behind Ken , into his house and into his room.  
  
"Hey! What did I do?" Ash asked through the locked door. Lisa leaned against the door and gave it a playful bang on it.  
  
"You're guilty by association!" Lisa pretended to growl. "Just for that, you can stay in there until lunch is ready and if I find you outside before that-" Lisa let the threat hang in the air. The imagination of two young boys would be punishment enough.  
  
"Your sister has been watching too much law enforcement shows lately hasn't she?" Ash asked in a loud voice. Ken laughed his response.  
  
"Yup! I think she has a thing for Pokemon Police Law." Ash waited for an 'I heard that' and sure enough.  
  
"I heard that you little creatins!" Ken and Ash laughed a while before they heard footsteps walking away. Ken then reintroduced Ash to a wonderful thing called video games before they were called for lunch Ash ate with half an appetite and Ken noticed.   
  
"Something the matter Ash?" Ken asked. Ash looked up from his plate (amazing occurrence here!) and sighed.  
  
"I was just remembering something-" Ash let a huge grin cross his features."-or rather someone who cooks like this." Ken openly gaped at Ash.   
  
"You mean that there's someone who cooks just like Lisa? Tirbines! You must've carried a stomach pump around with you all the time!" Ken was smack upside the head by Lisa.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with my cooking!" Lisa growled playfully at Ken.   
  
"-That a good hospital rest wouldn't cure." Teased John. The trio at the table turned to find the other male in the family had returned from landing the plane. Ash ducked just in time to avoid a vegetable aimed at John. John wiped the turnip from his face and smiled. "You do realize that this means war."  
  
"Food FIGHT!" Yelled Ken.   



	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Ash had never had so much fun at Ken's house before. Ash had heard about the infamous food fights, but had never experienced it. Ash had mashed potatoes down his shirt, rice in his hair and a whole plate of vegetables down his pants. Ken was in the same boat as Ash only he had the rice stuffed down his pants instead of vegetables.   
  
"I think there is even some rice in my ears," giggled Lisa. John got the worst of the food fight since he was standing up.   
  
"Oh yeah? I have it in my shoes," laughed John. Ash and Ken were ushered into the bathrooms first. Ash did a quick change of clothes and said goodbye, saying that he could use his own washroom at home. That's not what happened.  
  
The tree house…  
  
"Hey! I know that I'm covered in food but, HEY, stop it." Ash was getting his 'licks' from his pals.   
  
"Dra-tini-ini-dra!" cooed a content Blue. He was draped from Ash's shoulder, licking the soy sauce from his hair. Digger wasn't helping mush either.   
  
"Lar-vit-tar!" Digger was in Ash's backpack, scouring for the odd vegetable. Ash was changing his clothes to go to the underground cavern's river works. Or as he liked to call it: the underground waterslides.  
  
"Yaaaa-hooo!" Ash squealed in delight. Ash was blasting down a riverbed with Digger and Blue in tow. Ash was having the time of his life, rocketing down the natural rock waterslides. Laughter and yelling echoed in the caverns. Ash knew where they would end up and sighed. It would be over all too soon for his liking.   
  
"Lar-vi-tar," laughed Digger. Digger was pretending to surf on Ash Blue was right behind the pair, also laughing. Ash was suddenly blasted out into the biggest cavern, which he had ordained 'crystal lights cavern'.  
  
"That was a blast!" Ash giggled. "I'll never get tired of this!" In response to the blast comment, Blue gave Ash a watergun attack. Ash was sputtering out water when he felt something scaly beneath his feet.  
  
"Gyyarr!" Magic surfaced right beneath Ash and took the Dratini by surprise. A watergun attack that was almost twice as powerful as Blue's rained onto the poor pokemon. Digger by now had gotten out of the way and was perched on a small island in the middle of crystal light, blowing more than just one gasket, laughing.  
  
"Lar-lar-vi-tar!" yelled Digger in a fit of laughter. Ash was taken over to the island and he sat down on the mossy banks. Blue, a very irritated Dratini, swam over and joined Ash. "Lar-tar?"  
  
"Dra-tini-dra-dra?" snapped Blue. Ash began to wash up when he noticed that Magic was a bit sad.   
  
"Something the matter, Magic?" Ash asked. Magic snapped out of its thoughts and blushed.   
  
"Gyrrr, raaaaa, raaaa." Ash blinked twice trying to make sense of what Magic said when Digger grabbed Ash's hand.  
  
"You understand what's wrong?" Digger nodded and led Ash to another side of the island inside the cavern where he had some stowed scuba gear. Digger handed Ash an old breather like the one used at the Cerulean gym.  
  
"Gyyr!" Magic's eyes lit up when Digger brought Ash over fully geared.   
  
"So this is what you wanted?" Magic wanted to give Ash a ride underwater. Ash climbed onto Magic's back and literally strapped himself in.  
  
"Lar!" Digger and Blue were heading up to the treehouse.  
  
"I'll be back for my clothes later." Ash called out before Magic dived. Ash hung onto Magic tightly as they went into an underground adventure together. It was just the right time of day to go underwater. The fading light illuminated that water's underground decore. The reason Ash called the cavern the crystal lights was because of the entrance by the cliffs. It was a cave covered in crystals that reflected the dusk sunlight directly into the crystals that would reflect for miles underground.  
  
'It's so beautiful down here.' Ash thought enjoying the view. Ash then realized something and did his best not to cry. 'I bet Misty and Brock would have loved to see this.' Ash traveled into the underground water cavern maze that only Magic and Blue knew about. Later.  
  
"See you tomorrow." Ash called out over his shoulder as he left for home. Ash looked at his watch and it was thirty minutes until curfew. Ash almost flew all the way home.  
  
'One minute to go.' Ash thought in triumph as he stopped on the landing. Ash reached for the door as he heard a click.  
  
"Come on dad! I'm right here!" Ash yelled through the door. To Ash's surprise, the door opened.  
  
"I was unlocking it." Mark said as the door swung wide.  
  
"Oh!" Ash felt a pang of fear bolt through his mind. "Why are you waiting for me?" Ash asked in a cold sweat. Marks expression went grim.  
  
"We're about to have a talk about your training pokemon under my nose." The world around Ash seemed to shatter like glass. Ash was lead inside by Mark (by the ear) and sat down on the livingrooms only chair. Mark looked down at Ash, crossed his arms and waited. An uncomfortable silence passed for a few minutes. Ash took a deep breath and decided to get it over with.  
  
"How much do you know?" Ash asked in a small voice. Mark began to pace around the room. "And who told you?" Mark stopped in front of Ash and sighed.  
  
"This is exactly what I'm talking about. You never told me where you were in cadet training. Officer Jenny phoned to tell you that she caught Silvermane sneaking out of the kennel." Ash could've fainted from relief.  
  
'He only knows about Silver.' Ash let his face fall back into the I-know-I'm-in-trouble look. Mark sat down on the couch opposite to Ash.  
  
"She did?" Ash asked in a small tone. Mark nodded.  
  
"Ash, why did you keep your pokemon cadet partner a secret?" When Ash looked away, Mark knew the answer. "I see, you're still moping about your other pokemon friends.  
  
"I'm not moping dad. It's just that I miss them. I-I haven't been away from Pikachu more than a day or two since we started out our pokemon journey together. It's been three months since I've seen my mother or my friends." Ash saw the look in Marks eyes whenever he mentioned his mother so he hastily added his friends.  
  
"Ash, do you take your responsibilities seriously?" Mark asked suddenly. Ash was a little caught off guard but responded well.  
  
"Dad, responsibilities are just that. Responsibilities are like privileges, you can lose them or use them. I take my responsibilities very seriously." Mark sat back and seemed to be debating something.  
  
"Tell you what sport. This tournament the Jenny mentioned. You can prove how serious you've been these last three months. If you can come in any place in the events, I might consider you going back to pokemon training after cadet graduation." Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"Y-You mean if I win something, anything in the tournament you'll consider letting me resume my pokemon training?" Ash's eyes went wide.  
  
"I know I'm going to regret this but yes. I'll let you resume pokemon training, not your pokemon journey." Mark said reluctantly. Ash couldn't contain his excitement.  
  
"You mean it?!" Ash gasped. Mark saw the look of pure joy on Ash's face and knew it was the right thing to do.  
  
"Yes." Before Mark could say another word, Ash jumped up and gave him a hug.  
  
"THANK YOU! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Ash yelled as he scurried upstairs to his room. Ash dumped out his secret stash of badges and dexter. Ash smiled as he began to clean the tarnish and age from his badges.  
  
'It's been a long time.' Ash thought with a grin. 'I'm finally going to see Pikachu!' Ash was certain of that. Not only was he going to win this tournament, he was going to cream the competition!  
  
"This is going to be fun," Ash said with a mischievous grin.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon blah, blah, blah... 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Author note: This has got to be one of my favorite chapters for this story so tell me how you liked it!  
  
The next few days consisted of getting up, doing chores, going to work, eating, visiting pokemon and going home to sleep. Ash was in a hurry to get to work on the third day. After all, team rockets project was finished. Ash had arrived early and decided to watch the fun.  
  
"Here it is," Bruce announced in pride. Team rocket had just entered the junkyard. When they saw the finished product of Ash's labor, stars appeared in their eyes.  
  
"That is the most elegant piece of work I've ever seen," Jessie gasped.  
  
"It brings a tear to your eye," James cried.  
  
"You can inspect it if you want," Bruce said proudly. The trio exchanged evil glances. Ash watched and had a semi-sweat drop.  
  
'They never change, do they?' Ash thought to himself from his perch among the scrap. 'This is going to be sooo good.'  
  
"Er-yes. We would like to inspect this before we buy it," Jessie said with a sappy smile. Ash made a face.   
  
'Yuck. How long can she hold that smile? Not long I bet.' Ash watched eagerly as the team jumped up into the semi-tank Ash had deemed 'Fire One'.  
  
"We can discuss payment once you come out," Bruce called to the tank. "If you have any financial trouble however…" Bruce trailed off. Ash could see it coming.  
  
"De only person in financial trouble here is you my friend," came a scratchy voice from inside the control center.   
  
'That's Meowth,' Ash thought smiling.   
  
"Prepare for trouble," came a younger voice from the tank.   
  
"And make it double," echoed her male cohort.  
  
"To protect the world from devastation."  
  
"To unite all people within our nation."  
  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."  
  
"To extend our reach to the stars above."  
  
"Jessie!"  
  
"James!"  
  
"Team rocket blast off at the speed of light."  
  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."  
  
"Meowth, that's right. Sorry pal but you's da guy out of luck. We're taking dis for a better cause."  
  
"What? That's robbery!" We had a deal!" yelled Bruce.  
  
"Sorry pal, deals off," Jessie said in a teasing voice. "So nyaah!"  
  
"You won't get away with this!" Bruce yelled again.   
  
"Who's going to stop us? You?" laughed James from inside. Laughter erupted from inside of Fire One.  
  
'That would be my cue.' Ash calmly walked out of his hiding place, out into the open.   
  
"You guys never learn do you?" Ash asked in a loud enough voice so that they could hear. Ash was directly behind Fire One so Jessie and James came out to see who it was.  
  
"Wha? Look Jessie, is that the twerp look-alike?" James said questioningly. "What's he doing here?"  
  
"I told you's guys dat was da twerp!" Meowth called from inside the tank.   
  
"Are you guys going to try and steal Pikachu while I'm away?" Ash asked in a serious tone. "In the very machine that the trainer built?"  
  
"It is the twerp!" Jessie gasped. She hadn't really been sure.   
  
"We've got better tings to do dan sit here and wait to get caught. Let's get dis show on da road," growled Meowth. Ash let a smile creep over his face.   
  
"You guys were caught the moment you stepped into Cherry Canyon. Now, unless you mean to pay for my hard work, I will be forced to use my skills to stop you."  
  
"Just try it you runt! We've got the tank and you don't have any pokemon," Jessie laughed. She got a bit worried when Ash shrugged.  
  
"That's true, but since when did that stop me before?" Ash asked with a small smile. "And since when did being in a tank ever help you?"  
  
"Why you little…!" Jessie started. The hatch closed from the inside and team rocket pointed the tank's 'fun gun' at Ash.  
  
'Three, two, one…' Ash counted in his head. 'Now!' A blast erupted from the tank but miraculously Ash wasn't hurt.   
  
"What happened?" moaned Meowth as he plopped out of the wreckage. Ash simply smiled as three very crispy teammates emerged from the now scrap metal. Ash tried his best not to laugh at the losers.  
  
"What did it feel like? I rigged the whole thing to blow once you fired that gun. I'm not a total moron! Unlike some people here…" Ash left that one hanging. Veins popped from all three of the rocket's heads.   
  
"That did it! Go Arbok!" Jessie yelled as she released her pokemon. Ash didn't bat an eyebrow.   
  
"Go Wheezing!" James echoed.   
  
"I'm going to enjoy this," Jessie cooed. "You don't have Pikachu here to help you. You're finally at our mercy." She gave out an evil laugh.  
  
"That's what you think," Ash growled. Jessie, James and Meowth saw Ash's mood suddenly changes and froze. "You have no idea what I've been through in these last few months. I'm at no one's mercy here, least of all yours. If anything you're at mine." Ash suddenly took out his official cadet training cap and three pairs of handcuffs. The three stood there for a moment and burst out laughing.   
  
"Yous got to be kidding us!" Meowth laughed. "Dey's got to be desperate if they're training a loser like you!" Ash remained calm even though he was REALLY annoyed. Ash's eyebrow began to twitch.  
  
"No, I'm quite serious. If you don't believe me, meet my training buddy. Silvermane, Flamethrower!" The rockets only saw the pokemon out of the corner of their eyes before being charred to a crisp.  
  
"Ouch!" moaned all of the rockets before they collapsed. Ash then pulled out his cell phone and made his first call to Officer Jenny for a patrol wagon. When Officer Jenny arrived a few minutes before the paddy wagon, she gasped at the scene.  
  
"Ash! What happened here?" Jenny demanded to Ash. Ash was trying to look as innocent as possible, so he just smiled. There was a black spot in the middle of the junkyard with scrap everywhere. Off to the side was another black spot of charred earth, which surrounded three people who were tied up.   
  
"What do you think, Officer?" Ash asked sweetly. Officer Jenny gave Ash an astonished look and then scowled.   
  
"You know perfectly well what I mean. This place looks like a demolition team practiced here!" Ash didn't say anything in response but gave her a wink.  
  
"Ashura!" roared Bruce. Ash felt fear jump back into his mind. Ash had totally forgotten about Bruce; in fact Ash hadn't remembered to include Bruce in his overall what-could-go-wrong plans.  
  
'Uh oh! I'm in trouble,' Ash thought. Officer Jenny looked over Ash's shoulder to see Ash's boss Bruce walking up to them. Ash felt his stomach freeze from the bottom up.  
  
"Yeah Boss?" Ash turned around to see Bruce's face in an angry scowl. Ash thought that he was going to be eaten alive.   
  
"You just blew up three days work boy." Ash felt a sweat drop form on the back of his head.   
  
"Eh-heh. I guess I did," Ash said slowly as a nervous hand went up behind his head.  
  
"You also apprehended team rocket," Officer Jenny interrupted. "Without my express permission. Or backup of any kind. Or…"  
  
"Growl!" Silvermane stepped out from the scrap interrupting the scolding. "Growl-growl-ith? Growl-lithe?" Ash sighed.   
  
'I am so toast,' Ash thought looking back up to his employers. Before anyone could say anything else, Deputy Tucker rode up on his bike.   
  
"Officer Jenny, Officer Jenny!" The angry Officer adverted her attention away from Ash for a moment.   
  
"What's wrong Tucker?" Officer Jenny asked as soon as the bike stopped. Tucker panted his response.  
  
"I-its little Mary Becker. She's disappeared! The last time anyone saw of her was when she was walking up Cherry Grove Hills." Officer Jenny gasped at the same time as Bruce. Ash's eyes narrowed; that meant that she could be in the forbidden grove.   
  
"How long ago?" was Officer Jenny's quick question. A loud roar from cadets coming down the sidewalk distracted Tucker.  
  
"Officer Jenny!" It was Nick, Officer Jenny's most popular cadet. "We heard about Mary. Is there anything else that we can do?" Officer Jenny's eyebrow went up.  
  
"Else?" she asked Tucker.  
  
"I had the cadets track her scent when…" Tucker was interrupted by Nick.  
  
"It leads directly into the grove Jenny." There was an eerie silence.   
  
"The only thing we can do now is hope and pray that she will come out safely on her own." Ash couldn't believe his ears.   
  
"TURBINES!" Ash roared. Everyone present jumped at Ash's voice. "What we can do is go get her." Ash was immediately stopped by Officer Jenny.  
  
"Ash that's totally out of the question! The grove is forbidden and dangerous; it is very likely that she is already gone…" Officer Jenny's voice faltered.   
  
"We're cadets! You're an Officer of the Law! This is what we do" Ash looked over the faces before him and was shocked. They weren't going to do anything. "If you won't go in there, then I will." Ash turned on his heel only to be tackled from behind less than two seconds later.  
  
"No! You can't!" Growled Nick. As a fellow cadet I can't let you commit suicide!"  
  
"Hold him down." Jenny ordered. "Until he calms down." Ash rolled with the tackle and did a summersault to get back on his feet. As soon as the order registered in Ash's mind, he ran.  
  
'Man! Talk about nightmares coming true!" Ash thought as he jumped a fence. The entire cadet squad was hot on his heels.  
  
"Stop Ash!" Ash ignored his fellow cadets plea and ran his normal speed for running away from Mike, Trevor and Justin.  
  
'I won't standby and let a girl get hurt.' Ash ran into a well-known dead end. 'Especially if I can do something about it.'  
  
"We've got him cornered!" Ash heard someone yell from behind.  
  
'That's what you think!' Ash took a running start. It had been years since Ash had done this trick. Ash pumped all he could into the run. Ash sped down the alley in seconds, used the surrounding buildings to launch himself up and felt something heavy cling to his bag.  
  
"SILVER!" Ash growled. Ash didn't have any other time to scold his pokemon before he went launching over the barrier. Ash managed to make somewhat of a decent landing with a pokemon hanging onto his backpack.  
  
"Where'd he go?" Gasped a surprised voice. Ash didn't stop and kept running. Ash barreled out of the other end of the alley at warp speed. Running through town was a normality for Ash, however the speed was abnormal.  
  
"Watch where you're going!" Was one of the last things Justin heard before being run over. Ash was in so much of a rush he didn't see the terrible trio until after he barreled over Justin. Ash had just passed Candy carrying food when he almost got her too.  
  
"Sorry!" Ash called annoyed. Ash was too focused right then to be distracted with petty incidents. This was a life he was going to save. Ash made it to the edge of town before being spotted by the cadets again.  
  
"There he is!" Yelled a voice. Ash shuddered inwardly, this wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
'I probably can outrun them 'till I reach the grove.' Ash made his decision and ran. Ash was right, he ran until he saw the edge of the forest and no one was near him.  
  
"Ash! Don't do it!" Yelled Nick. Ash didn't even look back. Silvermane had finally caught up to Ash again.  
  
"You coming? I might need you to track her." Ash asked Silvermane running. The pokemon just kept running. "I'll take that as a yes." Ash had just reached the forest.  
  
'I won't be in that much danger. This is my third home after all.' Ash counted his mother's as his first home and his father's his second. Ash then decided to set his cadets mind at ease. About thirty feet into the forest Ash turned around to see the cadets lined up along the forest line.  
  
"I'll see you guys back at the training center later!" Ash called out over his shoulder. Ash then ran out of sight.  
  
"You had better!" Nick called back at Ash. Ash picked up Silvermane after they were out of sight.  
  
"Hang on!" Ash said with a grin. Ash launched himself off a spring stump and the race was on. Ash had decided to stick to the outermost parts of the forest. (The most likely place for a kid to be right?) Ash called for Arrow after it had reached noon.  
  
'I won't find her like this. I need help.' Ash let out a high-pitched whistle and Arrow was there in a flash. Ash explained the situation and found Arrow gone the next. Ash thought an air search would speed things along a bit. After a few more hours of searching.  
  
"GROWL?" Silvermane stopped. Ash turned to his pokemon partner who had stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"We're close aren't we?" Ash asked excited. Silvermane sniffed the ground and let out a long howl. Ash barely had enough time to scamper after the Growlithe before Silvermane set himself in a dead run.  
  
'I never knew Silver could run this fast.' Ash thought as he struggled to keep up with his friend. Sure enough, five minutes later Ash was standing over a small sleeping girl underneath one of Ash's favorite trees. Ash crept away silently as he could and let out a whistle.   
  
"PHEWEEEEE!" Minutes later, Arrow swooped down from the sky and landed.  
  
"We found her. Tell Digger and the others that they can stop looking." Ash gave Arrow a wink. "And that I'll be sure to reward you guys in the near future." Arrow let out a small roar of delight and sped off to tell his friends the good news.  
  
'Now to bring you home.' Ash thought to himself as he stared down at, what did the deputy call her? Mary? Silvermane watched as Ash gently rolled the girl onto his back.  
  
"Growl?" Ash put a finger to his lips and gestured to the girl on his back. Silvermane went silent.  
  
"No need to wake her. Let's just take her home." Ash said in a whisper. Ash knew it wasn't going to be that long of a treck so it wasn't much bother to bring her home piggy-back style. Ash walked in silence for about an hour and had just reached the halfway point when…..  
  
"Mmmmm?" Ash began to panic. Mary was waking up! Ash thought fast and began tot whistle his favorite tune softly to try and put her back to sleep.  
  
'I hope this works!' Silvermane noticed what Ash was doing and waited ahead for them.  
  
"You're here. I'm not scared anymore." Mary said in her sleep. Ash's whistle sent Mary back to dreamland. Ash resumed the journey but kept right on whistling. Ash traveled for about another hour before he saw the tree line.  
  
'Yes! Home free!' Ash thought as he marched triumphantly to the edge. Mary began to stir again and that's when Ash realized that he had stopped whistling. 'And not a moment too soon.' Ash was about to try and wake Mary when.  
  
"There they are!" yelled a voice. Ash had just stepped out of the bushes when Nick spotted him. The cadets were positioned around the tree line like a wall. Ash had just stepped into their wall.   
  
"Mary!" screamed a voice to Ash's right. Ash turned to see a woman bolting for Ash at top speed.  
  
'Probably the mother.' Ash thought. Ash immediately regretted the thought because it reminded him that his mother probably missed him.   
  
"Mommy?" Mary had awoken from all the yelling. Ash felt a pang of envy enter his being when the woman took Mary off of Ash's back.  
  
"Mary! My sweet baby girl! Your safe." The woman sobbed. Ash saw the tears streaming down the mothers face and smiled. "Don't ever do that again! You put your life in danger!"  
  
"No I wasn't mommy." Mary said. The mother gave her a startled look.  
  
"Of course you were! You wandered into the Forbidden Grove!" Mary shook her head.  
  
"I went to look for the phantom of the forest." Mary said excited. "I found him mommy! I found the phantom! He whistled for me! You know, the tune that I always hear!"  
  
"Mary!" The woman suddenly shouted. "There is no such thing as the phantom of the forest! How many times do I have to tell you that!"  
  
"But he does exist!" Mary interrupted. "I was lost looking for him so I fell asleep. The phantom picked me up and brought me back mommy! He liked me so he gave me a good dream with his magic song!"  
  
"Mary!"  
  
"Like this!" Mary began to copy the tune Ash had been whistling!  
  
'This is my fault!' Ash thought in a groan. 'She must have heard me whistling a while back! I've got to rectify this.'  
  
"Mary! There is no such thing as the phantom! He didn't save you, this nice boy did." Mary seemed to notice Ash for the first time and Ash could see her heart breaking.  
  
"It's true. I did bring you out of the forest." Mary was on the verge of tears from what Ash had just said. "I don't know much about this phantom of yours but I do know one thing…" Ash leaned over and whispered something no one else heard other than Mary.  
  
"He has a nice whistle." Ash whispered softly. Mary's eyes got big and Ash gave her a wink.  
  
"I think that's enough excitement for one day." Ash announced. "I think we should all go home and get some rest." Mary smiled at Ash and nodded.  
  
"Hold it!" Growled a voice. Ash turned three shades of blue. Officer Jenny didn't sound too happy. The cadets opened the circle Ash hadn't noticed form to let the woman through,   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon (WAAAAAAH!) So don't sue me K?   
  
Author Note: Lot's of dream sequences next time. I apologize in advance. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
'I'm way too tired for this.' Ash thought with a sigh. Officer Jenny grabbed Ash's ear and pinched much like Misty did to Brock.  
  
"Ow! That hurts!" Ash whimpered as he was dragged out of the way.   
  
"I'm sorry but you'll both have to go to the hospital for the night." Silvermane giggled a bit.  
  
"Grrr, grrrr,grrrr!" Officer Jenny then noticed the pokemon and scowled.   
  
"And your under quarantine too buster! Don't think I've forgotten about your great escape attempt either." Silvermane stopped giggling and let out a pokemon version of a moan.   
  
"Growlll." Ash was dragged down the path that lead to town and was shoved in a waiting ambulance.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Ash growled as he was pushed into the wailing vehicle. "Someone has to go and explain this to my-"  
  
"Father?" cut in an annoyed voice. Ash heard the voice and immediately looked for the source. Ash found his fathers eyes staring straight back at him in the crowd.  
  
'Eeeeep!' Ash thought as he studied his father's body language. 'Emotionless face, crossed arms and tapping foot. Turbines! He's spitting mad!'  
  
"Dad?" Ash asked quietly. Ash didn't have time to ask what was wrong before the doors were shut.  
  
"Just relax." Officer Jenny ordered. Ash was seated opposite to Mary and her mother. Ash sat back and closed his eyes as he began to think.  
  
"Why are we being rushed to the hospital?" Ash asked out of nowhere." Officer Jenny was caught off guard by the question so she didn't answer right away.  
  
"You've been missing for hours in the most dangerous forest in the world. Why wouldn't you be going to a hospital?" was her reply. Ash crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat.  
  
"It's odd for a healthy person being rushed to a hospital, that's all." Ash rode in silence until they reached the Cherry Canyon hospital. Ash jumped out of the ambulance and was lead inside by an emergency team.  
  
'What did I get myself into?' Ash groaned inwardly with a sweatdrop.  
  
Next day  
  
'Now, where did they put my backpack?' Ash was scouring his hospital room for his bag. Ash had spent the entire night being poked and prodded at by doctors and nurses. Ash had enough when took his blood sample for the THIRD time.  
  
"And what do you think you're doing?" A voice from the door said.  
  
"DAD!" Before Mark could take two steps into the room, Ash tackled him with a hug. "SAVE ME!"  
  
"Whoa! Calm down! I just came to see how you were doing. Save you from what?" Ash pulled him into the room and shut the door.  
  
"You may think I'm crazy for saying this but, I'm perfectly healthy! These quacks won't leave me alone! Dad they gave me a booster shot. ME! Dad, get me out of here!" Mark gave his son a once over and sighed.  
  
"Get your bag. If you get caught, it's on your head." Mark said seriously. "And here I thought you were sleeping in a coma or something. Next time you want to do something dangerous, don't get caught at it."  
  
"Yes! Thank you!" Ash grabbed his backpack, slung it in his shoulders and waited for his father to leave first.   
  
"You're on your own sport. See you at home if you make it." Mark gave Ash a wink and Ash replied with a peace sign. Mark closed the door and Ash waited for about five minutes before making his escape.   
  
'No ones looking, here goes nothing.' Ash crept out of the hospital without anyone noticing him. Ash began to run as soon as he was out of sight.  
  
"Free at last!" Ash whispered hoarsely as he passed the cadet training course. Ash had almost totally forgot about his promise to the guys at the training field after his little escapade was done. Ash heard familiar voices on the equipment, so he snuck up closer to the fence.   
  
"-he's just a show off. That's what I think." Growled a voice Ash recognized as Frank. There were five cadets Ash was graduating with. Frank, Joe, Tyrel, Nick and Boomer. Frank, Joe, Tyrel and Nick were almost inseparable whereas Boomer was more like Ash, a bit of a lone wolf.   
  
"Did anyone catch what he said to Mary?" Nick asked. There was a pause.  
  
"It must've been something really important, Mary's been smiling nonstop since she left the hospital last night." Ash thought that it was unfair that Mary had gotten out before him. "Mary's also acting like she has a secret too." Tyrel snickered.  
  
"I don't know what Ash was thinking! Going into the Forbidden Grove like that. I tell you, Ash is not all there upstairs." Joe added in.  
  
'And what do you mean by that?' Ash growled in his head.  
  
"I know what you mean." Tyrel added. "No one in their right mind would go into the forest. Has anyone figured out how he got out of that dead end?"  
  
"Nope." Nick said simply.  
  
"Now that is creepy " Frank finally added in. "You know what? Now that I think about it, Ash really scares me."  
  
"What?" scoffed Tyrel. "Why would you be scared of that nobody?" Nick interrupted.  
  
"That nobody can bench press his own body weight, run faster then any of us and has the best marks this school has ever seen." An uneasy silence passed.  
  
"Point taken." Tyrel said breaking the silence.  
  
"Besides, who else do you know could handle cadet training with as little practice as him? No one here I can tell you that." Joe added in.  
  
"I think there's more to him than meets the eye." Nick said out of nowhere. Ash waited for him to explain. There was a long pause.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Frank asked. There was another long pause.  
  
"Think about it. Yesterday he apprehended Team Rocket, outran his fellow cadets and saved a girl from the Forbidden Grove by carrying her out. And he still walked into the ambulance!" Nick said in a nervous tone.  
  
"He's definitely dangerous." Frank sighed. Ash felt his stomach turn to ice as he realized the truth.  
  
'I-I am dangerous.' Ash could hold his own in a fight against his father and that was saying something. 'I'm faster, stronger and smarter then most kids my age.' Ash began to sneak away from the fence but, not before he heard Nick's two cents.  
  
"No, not dangerous, more like cautious and deadly. He's smart enough so he gets out of sticky situations but has his strength to fall back on. I honestly think he's been holding back his true abilities in cadet training." Ash didn't stick around to hear anymore and was on his way.   
  
"I can't believe they see me like that." Ash mumbled to himself miserably. "They make me out like I'm some sort of monster."  
  
'But isn't that the truth?' Ash instantly shot that thought down in flames. 'I'm no monster! I'm me, Ash Ketchum! I'm helpful, kind and hardworking!' Ash looked to his right to see Candy's shop before him.   
  
"Why not?" Ash asked himself. A treat right now might help his mood. Ash walked into the sweetshop to find it-  
  
'Empty? That's not like this place' Ash walked up and sat on a stool. Candy almost magically appeared out of thin air.  
  
"Hi Ash! The usual fruity fantastic?" Candy asked in her usual cheery voice. Ash shook his head.  
  
"No, give me a vanilla milkshake." Candy was startled for a moment but went to fill the order. Ash watched as she expertly scoop out the ice cream, poured in the milk and mixed it up.  
  
"Something wrong Ash?" Candy asked as she sat down the milkshake in front of him. "You should be on top of the world right now. You're a local hero!" Ash stopped sipping his milkshake to respond.  
  
"I'm no hero." Ash said quietly. Ash went back to his milkshake when Candy responded.  
  
"Oh no? Well, they seem to think you are." A puzzled expression passed over Ash's face as he looked up from his drink.  
  
"Who?" Candy pointed to the glass window. When Ash looked, he nearly fell off his stool. When Ash had come in mere moments ago, the street was empty. Now-  
  
'There has to be twenty girls out there!' Ash thought in a yelp. Ash saw the entire high society girls club in a big group outside Candy's shop. 'What do they want?'  
  
"Looks like you just became the number one bachelor in Cherry Canyon." Ash felt himself go blue in the face.   
  
"Ummmm. Can I sneak out the back way? If that's not too much to ask." Ash choked out. Candy tried her best not to laugh.  
  
"Sure you can. You go straight through here." Ash was lead into the back alley behind the sweetshop.  
  
"Thanks Candy." Ash ran down the alley and didn't stop until he was out of town.  
  
'Maybe I've gotten myself into more trouble than I realized,' Ash thought to himself as he headed home. Ash confirmed that thought when he reached home.   
  
"What's going on here?" Ash whispered to himself. In his driveway there was Officer Jenny's bike and Bruce's pickup truck. Ash crept towards his house and settled beneath the living room window, listening to the voices inside.  
  
"You're sure he was fine when you saw him last?" gruffed and older voice. Ash thought it strange that Bruce would ask his father about his welfare.  
  
"Yes, yes. The rascal was trying to sneak out as a matter of fact," laughed Mark.  
  
"Really?" asked a feminine voice. Officer Jenny's voice had a hint of amusement in it.  
  
"Good. That means that he'll be returning to work soon." Bruce had moved from his spot so Ash had to strain to hear him.   
  
"Bruce, that's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about," Mark said next, surprising the hidden Ash. He pushed the knot that was forming in his throat down and leaned in to hear better.   
  
"What?" demanded Bruce. Officer Jenny's voice grew faint, then louder, signaling she too was moving around the room.  
  
"As you know, the cadet training tournament is in two days," Officer Jenny started. "Ash is the best cadet I've seen in all my years of cadet training. But…" Officer jenny looked over at Mark for help.   
  
"But he needs a few days to rest up. If he works for you like he has been, Ash won't do his best," Mark finished for Officer Jenny. There was a pause before Bruce's laughter echoed through out the house.   
  
"I take it Ash hasn't told you yet," Bruce managed to choke out between bellows of laughter.   
  
"Told us what?" Mark demanded.   
  
"I've made him my second. Ash will only be called into work on the special jobs." There was a pause before more laughter echoed Bruce's.  
  
"Why that little scamp!" laughed Officer Jenny. "Not telling me this! Your boy is way too humble, Mark."  
  
"I know, I know." Mark responded. "I guess this solves our problems. Would you like something to eat? I have stir fry in the fridge." Ash stayed put in until all three adults left the living room.  
  
'What were they laughing about?' Ash wondered. 'Must be an inside joke.' Ash waited for about ten minutes before he wandered into his house.  
  
"Hey dad? I'm out in the greenhouse." Ash called out. Mark didn't have time to reply before Ash was gone.  
  
'That kid! Like a deserting rat on a sinking ship. I'll talk to him later.' Mark went to entertaining his guests. Ash closed the door to the greenhouse behind him and sat down.  
  
"Life is about to get complicated." Ash whispered.  
  
'Now dad knows that I have free time.' Ash ran his fingers through tangled hair. 'Which means more lessons and more chores. As if I wasn't tired now.' Ash got up and ventured into his green world. Ash didn't know how much his mother had influenced him until he had to start up the greenhouse again.  
  
"Mom always had a way with flowers. I guess mine is with vegetables." Ash chuckled to himself. Ash had carrots, turnips, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, potatoes and strawberries. Ash copied his mothers neat rows of vegetables but for the strawberries, Ash had got creative.  
  
'Mom would be so jealous.' Strawberries were at the back of the greenhouse where dads old junk was. Ash had converted the junk into a maze of potted red berries. Ash went to work weeding the vegetables and watering the strawberries. An hour passed, two, then three.  
  
"Ashura!" Mark opened the doors to the greenhouse. "Ashur-?" Mark stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
'I never realized how much Ash has been doing in here.' Mark marveled at all the rows of vegetables Ash had newly weeded. Mark walked in but saw no sign of Ash.  
  
"Ashura!" Mark called out again. Mark walked down the rows of vegetables looking for Ash. Mark came to the end where most of his old, rusty junk was stored.   
  
'I've got to get rid of this one of these- What?' A moment passed before Mark registered what he was looking at. 'What happened here?' Mark thought in awe. Mark's useless junk pile had been rearranged into a mountain of rusty…..art.  
  
"Strawberries?" Mark gasped aloud. In whatever rusty jagged container could hold them did. Strawberries reddening in the high light greenhouse were bulging out of the junk pile.   
  
'Did Ash do this? It's beautiful.' Mark then thought of Delilah and her garden. A pang of hurt and bitterness that Mark had harbored against Ash for the crazy things he had done the day before, seemed to crack.  
  
"Ash?" Mark asked again. Mark listened for a response and heard something soft reply.  
  
"Zzzzzzzz." Mark walked into the rubbish to see a sleeping Ash. The events of the last day shattered into a million pieces in Marks mind when he saw Ash's sleeping face. Ash had fallen asleep picking the ripe strawberries because there was a full bucket ready to go with a curled boy beside it.  
  
'He must've fallen asleep after he was finished. My baby boy, he's all tuckered out from yesterday.' Ash was barely aware of being carried out of the greenhouse, into the house and into his room. Mark changed Ash out of his cloths and set him into bed. Mark hesitated before doing something he hadn't done in a long time.  
  
"Sleep in Ashy." Mark whispered in his ear. Mark push back Ash's hair and kissed his forehead. Mark made his exit just as Ash mumbled something in his sleep.  
  
"I'm sorry daddy. I ….. mean to crash…computer. Gizmo and I….playing…" Ash mumbled. Mark was stopped short for the second time that day.  
  
'How much do you remember?' Mark wondered as he shut the door behind him. Ash fell into a sleep of memories  
  
  
*****  
  
"Why can't I see the puppies?" A four-year-old Ash asked in a pout. Officer Jenny sighed as she looked into Ash's infamous 'look'. Ash had the best bambie eye routine she had ever come across.  
  
"Because she's nursing." Officer Jenny could almost literally swear she could feel her will breaking before those eyes.  
  
"Can't I just see them? I promise I won't touch." Ash begged. What could Jenny say? She was a sucker for those eyes.  
  
"Alright! You can go see the puppies! Just don't touch ok?" Little A bounded up in delight.  
  
"Thank you!" Ash gave her a quick hug and ran for the puppy pen. Ash walked up to the gate and hung off of it like all four year olds do.  
  
"Growl?" Ash was noticed by the mother for a moment and dismissed as a non-threat.  
  
'Look at them They're all so cute! Not that I would admit that to Ken mind you.' Ash thought excited. Ash counted six puppies in the litter. Ash watched them nurse for a good hour before Officer Jenny came to check on him.  
  
"How's my lucky litter of seven?" Officer Jenny asked walking up behind Ash. Ash wasn't startled by her presence, but more by her question.  
  
"Seven? But there's only six in there." Ash said confused. Officer Jenny mimicked Ash's confused look.  
  
"There are? But Flameflower had seven puppies." Ash scanned the pen again.  
  
"I found it! It's in the pen but-" Ash paused for a moment. "Why isn't Flameflower feeding him too?" Officer Jenny was a little startled when she realized the truth.  
  
"OH NO! Poor little one! He doesn't have a chance now." Officer Jenny had tears well up in her eyes. Ash noticed and it dawned onto him what was happening. Ash acted fast in order to save the lone puppies life. Weeks later.  
  
"Growl!" Ash had been visiting Officer Jenny for the last month properly feeding the outcast puppy. Mark didn't notice his son's absence. After all, Ash was with Officer Jenny.  
  
"Hi Silver! Did you miss me? YIPE!" Ash was bowled over by the not too small puppy anymore. Flameflower had rejected Silvermane because he had been the runt.  
  
"Growl! Growl!" Ash giggled as the odd puppy licked Ash's face until he was drenched.  
  
"Stop! I had my bath yesterday!" Ash managed to squeak between licks. Reluctantly, the pokemon got off of Ash and Ash rose to his feet. "So, how's the brat pack?"  
  
"Groooow!" Moaned Silvermane. The brat pack is what Ash referred to as Silvermane's sisters and brothers. Ash dumped the puppy chow into a bowl since he had gotten off of milk a week ago.  
  
"That bad huh? We'll say hello after Officer Jenny comes for her daily visit." Ash began to groom the silver haired fire pokemon as he ate. Silvermane wasn't the runt of the litter anymore; in fact, Silvermane had grown huge under Ash's care.  
  
"Groooowllllll!" Silvermane leaned into Ash's caressing brush and began to crowd Ash.  
  
"Silver! Cut it out before you sit on me." Ash sealed his fate with those words. "Get off of me you big lug!" Ash giggled. A wrestling match occurred that ended up with another bath for Ash.  
  
******  
  
'Stupid cadet training.' Ash grumbled. 'Why can't they leave me alone?' Ash had just finished the second year level cadet training. Ash had nothing better to do at home then study; if he was studying, Mark wouldn't give him extra chores. Ash had just finished the scholarly part of cadet training in just a month, to some others discontent.  
  
"You won't last five seconds out here." Growled Ceris. Ceris wouldn't be graduating this year but a pain none-the-less. Ceris had appointed himself Ash's official rival once Ash was enrolled into the physical training of the course.  
  
"That's what you think." Ash growled in response. Ceris smiled an evil smile and Ash wondered what he knew.  
  
"You don't have a pokemon partner. You're going to be eaten alive out here without one." Snickered Ceris. "And I just happen to know there aren't any free pokemon partners left." Then, it was Ash's turn to smile.  
  
"Actually Ceris-" said Officer Jenny. Ceris jumped five feet in the air in surprise. "-we have some partners coming in today fresh from their training."  
  
"O-Officer Jenny! Er-" Ceris sputtered.  
  
"Come Ash, you have to find a partner for yourself." Officer Jenny scowled at Ceris before leading Ash away. Ash could barely contain his excitement!  
  
'No matter what dad tries to do, he can't stop me from my pokemon training.' Ash skipped along Officer Jenny barely aware of what she was saying.  
  
"Now Ash. We have seven highly trained pokemon for you to chose from. They all have different abilities and temperaments, you have to chose carefully." Ash ran up to the Growlithe pen and peered inside.  
  
"Can I go in?" Ash asked eagerly. Officer Jenny saw no harm so she nodded.  
  
"Alright, but don't get them too hyper." Ash gave Officer Jenny a wink as she walked off.  
  
"I don't know why you should." Ceris said appearing behind Ash. "I've heard about these seven. They're the most stubborn group put through Growlithe police training. Here watch."  
  
"What're you doing?" Ash watched Ceris go through the gate and up to the pokemon. Ceris held up a delicious meat treat up to one of the Growlithes.  
  
"Good girl! You want this don't you? Let me pet you and you can have it." Ash watched in shock as the pokemon snubbed away from Ceris's treat. One by one Ceris was ignored, growled at and snarled for his efforts. "See?"  
  
"Maybe they're not interested in food." Ash shot back.  
  
'And maybe they're insulted by Ceris's intelligence level.' Ash thought to himself. Ash kept this thought to himself because Ceris wasn't that bad of a guy; a little egotistical like Gary but not all bad.  
  
"Let's see you try smart guy!" Ash sighed at his point being proven by the childish challenge. Ash put a nervous arm around his head and laughed. Ash didn't know it but, he got the Growlithe's attention by his laugh.  
  
"I don't know if I can go in there while your watching. Besides, don't you have a workout to finish?" Ceris came out of the kennel with a smug look on his face.  
  
"I'd like to see you be ignored by this brat pack but, as you said, I have a workout to finish." Ash watched Ceris leave stunned. Brat Pack? His Brat Pack!?! Ash decided to conduct an experiment to see if it was the same Growlithes he used to play with.  
  
'One, two, three-fourfivesix- SILVER?' Ash counted the pokemon in the kennel and found his old friend. Silver was still the same, sleeping in the sun. But, my, did he get BIG!  
  
"Knock knock!" Ash banged the chain on the gate to one of it's wooden posts. All eyes in the pen were either opened or were already locked on Ash. Ash entered the pen with a big smile.   
  
"Well, here's a first. I've finally entered the Brat Packs presence and haven't needed a towel." Silvermane stepped forward.  
  
"Growl?" Ash crossed his arms and winked.  
  
"Hey Silver, you still chasing that runt tail of yours or have your sisters been doing it for you?" Before Ash could say another word Silvermane was in a sprint.  
  
"GROWL, GROWL!"  
  
"Whoa!" Ash was knocked down by the fully-grown Growlithe. "Yuck!" sputtered Ash between tongues. "I guess I spoke too soon. Where's a towel?" Ash wasn't let up for a good ten minutes. "So, who wants to be my partner?"  
  
"Growlithe!" yelped seven voices at once. One moment Ash was standing, the next he was on the ground staring at seven eager pokemon faces.  
  
'Well this is just great.' Ash thought sarcastically. 'Now what?' There was a sudden bark and six of the Growlithes stepped back leaving Silvermane in Ash's face.  
  
*****  
  
"Yayyy! You made it!" Ash jumped from the door to grab Sheri's hand and dragged her inside. Mark noticed their late arrival and gasped.  
  
"Ash? Isn't that Mayor Teresa's daughter?" Ash smiled and ran right by his father with Sheri in tow.  
  
"Did you bring the keyboard?" Ash asked Sheri. Sheri took off her backpack and unzipped it to let Ash have a peek inside.  
  
"Sure did! Why's you ask me to bring it to your birthday party anyway?" Sheri asked. Ash's smile was big enough to make Sheri sweatdrop.  
  
"You'll see." Ash dragged Sheri to the backyard where the people and food were. "Sheri, I would like you to meet Gizmo, Ken, Robert and you already know Candy." A nervous group said their hellos.  
  
"Ash?" Ash turned to see his father in the doorway with a big gift-wrapped box. "Do you want to open presents now or later?" The second Ash's eyes set on the box Mark knew his answer.  
  
"Now!" Ash replied eagerly. Mark brought the box over to a table that had a pile of presents already on it.  
  
"That reminds me. Here you go Ash." Ash received a box about half the size of Marks from Sheri.  
  
"Wow! Thanks Sheri!" Ash put it over by Marks.  
  
"Actually, we should wait until after cake to open presents." Mark said. Ash's face fell for about half a second before he realized something.  
  
"Food?! Alright, let's chow down!" Ash bounded over to another table with food and began to eat the contents on it.  
  
"Hey! Save some for us!" Ken giggled. Ken raced after Ash. Nervously, the rest of the group joined Ash around the table. The rest of the day was spent playing, games eating and opening presents. Ash got flowerseeds, a slingshot, video game, a book, a new backpack and a fishing rod with tackle from his father.  
  
"Bye!" Ash called as his friends left for home. It was eight and the small group of five decided to walk home together. An odd gaggle of kids walked back to Cherry Canyon in silence.  
  
"I didn't know Ash had such a variety of friends." Robert said breaking the silence.  
  
"I never thought Ash would be friends with someone so old either." Ken chuckled. Robert was perturbed.  
  
"What was that shrimp?" Ken playfully ran ahead of the group to get away from Robert.   
  
"Come, come now. We shouldn't quarrel." Candy stepped between Robert and Ken.  
  
"And why not?" Growled Robert, wanting nothing more then to get at the snip that called him old.  
  
"Because we all like Ash." Gizmo said out of nowhere. Gizmo had hardly said a word all day so it was a surprise to the group that he had a voice.  
  
"Look, glasses can talk." Ken sneered. Sheri, being her mothers daughter, took charge of the situation.  
  
"No! He's right. Everyone here agrees that Ash is their friend, right?" Everyone nodded. "Does everyone agree that Ash is special?"  
  
"Yes." Said four people in unison. Sheri smiled her best smile and had an idea.  
  
"So why don't we form something special fo Ash? It's his birthday so let's give him one last present."  
  
"What do we have more to give him?" Candy asked confused.  
  
"How about our friendship to him and our loyalty?" Suggested Gizmo. "And that means becoming friends ourselves." Everyone stood there in silence for a few minutes pondering Gizmo's suggestion.   
  
"I'm in!" Ken said proudly.  
  
"Me too!" Echoed Sheri.  
  
"Me three!" Joked Robert.  
  
"I'll do it!" Candy said with a smile on her face. All four faces then turned to Gizmo.  
  
"It was my idea! Of course I'm in!" Gizmo said with a laugh. "We should make this a club. We have enough people for it."  
  
"What'll we call ourselves?" Candy wondered out loud.  
  
"How about the Little A Society?" Ken suggested. Ash, up in a tree, was touched by his friends loyalty. Hence, the Little Society was born.  
  
*****  
  
Disclaimer: I still don't own pokemon.   
  
Author note: Hehehehe. I am truely evil! Poor Ash is the ladies man in Cherry Canyon when he wants to be left alone. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Morning  
  
Ash awoke to the sound of breakfast being carried in by Mark. Ash's eyes fluttered open when the light came peeking through behind Mark.  
  
'Since when did someone tie weights to my lids?' Ash thought in a moan. When it registered that he had slept in, Ash sat bolt upright in bed.  
  
"OHMYGOSH! Officer Jenny's going to KILL ME!" Ash wrenched off the covers and got tangled in his sheets. "Wump!" Ash knocked the wind out of himself. Mark sighed, set the tray down and helped Ash untangle himself.  
  
"Officer Jenny's not going to kill you. In fact, she doesn't want to see your face until you leave for the tournament." Mark said in a gentle voice. Ash was finally free of the sheets in his nightclothes so he jumped up.  
  
"WHAT!?!" Ash demanded. "But the tournament it the day after tomorrow! I have to urk-" Ash was cut off by a piece of toast being shoved in his mouth. Mark picked up the rest of the tray and handed it to Ash.  
  
"What you have to do is get some rest. We want you rested for the tournament. That means that your not going anywhere for today or tomorrow. Now eat up and go back to bed." Mark left a stunned Ash, toast and all, sitting on his bed.  
  
'You've go to be kidding me! It's nine for crying out loud! I'll eat this and then get up.' Ash munched down the rest of his late morning breakfast and got dressed. 'This has got to be the latest I've slept in since leaving Pallet.'  
  
"Ashura! Come outside after your dressed. I hear you up there. I've got a surprise for you." Mark called up the stairs. Ash pulled his shirt over his head and moaned; a surprise from his father usually meant a new series of books to study.  
  
'I wonder what new methods of mental torture he's come up with now.' Ash rubbed his eyes coming out his front door and yawned.  
  
"Well? What do you think?" Ash moved his hands away from his face and blinked twice. In the center of the lawn was an umbrella set up over a-  
  
"Hammock? You dragged out your old hammock? Why?" Mark shook his head and ruffled Ash's hair.  
  
"It's for you boy, I was serious when I said that you're not doing anything until that tournament. Your staying put right here." Ash was playfully shoved in the hammock.  
  
"But dad-"  
  
"No buts. I don't want to see you move from this spot unless it's an emergency." Mark gave Ash a wink. "And I will have my eye on you." Ash was left stunned for the second time that day.  
  
'Alright. What's going on here?' Ash thought in a panic. 'Dad's being sickeningly nice. I don't think he's been this nice since I was very young.'  
  
"Oh well!" Ash decided to take advantage of his good fortune and sat in the hammock Mark watched from the kitchen as his son put his arms behind his head in the hammock.  
  
'I don't think I've been this happy in years.' Mark thought with a grin. 'It's just like when he was young.' Mark watched Ash doze in the hammock.  
  
"Hmmmm,mmmmm,mmmmm,mmm." Mark began to hum to himself absentmindedly. Ash was almost asleep when he heard Mark humming.   
  
'I-I know this.' Ash sat up in the hammock and listened. Mark continued his tune and Ash couldn't believe that he had forgotten that melody.  
  
"The last time he hummed that, I was sick." Ash then put two and two together.  
  
'He thinks I need to be taken care of!' Ash thought in shock. A mixture of emotions rolled over Ash. Mark still thought that Ash needed him after all these years.  
  
"Hmmmm,mmmmm,mmmmm,mmm." Mark continued to hum. Ash sat back in the hammock emotionally confused.  
  
'For a good portion of his life, my father's taught me to be independent; but now he's happy to be needed. I thought I had him pegged as my father and now this happens.' Later, Mark came out with juice to find Ash asleep.  
  
'Asleep already? I'll just leave this here then.' Mark set the tray down on the grass. 'What's this?' Mark spotted something in Ash's hands. It was a small brown pouch tied with a simple string. Mark gently tugged the bag out of Ash's hand because of curiosity. Mark went back inside the house and opened the bag. When its contents were emptied on his table, Mark gasped involuntarily.  
  
"What the?" Mark found twenty badges starting back at him and a small electronic device. Mark picked up the hivebadge, boulderbadge and searubybadge. Mark jostled the badges around in his hand in disbelief.   
  
'Where did he get these?' Mark asked himself. Mark knew a lot about pokemon trainers and he knew that not many from the general public had over five. Mark saw the electronic device and flipped it open, looking for answers.  
  
"This handheld pokedex unit belongs to Ash Ketchum of Pallet town." Chimed an electronic voice. Mark marveled at what he was holding.  
  
'A pokedex? My son was entrusted with a pokedex!?!' Mark used up all his self-control not to jump with joy at the discovery of twenty badges. A pokedex was not something you would just give to any old pokemon trainer.  
  
"Pokedex rating two-hundred-forty pokemon seen, twenty seven owned." Mark nearly dropped the device. The last time Mark had heard that there were only one hundred and fifty one kinds of known pokemon.   
  
'How did he manage to see that many different pokemon?' Mark then frowned at the twenty-seven owned. 'And why didn't he catch them?' Mark then realized he was missing a big part of Ash's life. Mark put the badges back in the bag and crept back to put the bag back in Ash's sleeping clutches. Later….  
  
"I don't believe it!" Mark exclaimed at the computer screen. There was nothing about computers that Mark didn't know about. If it was recorded on a computer, Mark could hack into it and decode its contents.  
  
'How could my Ash do all this?' Mark thought in disbelief. Mark had found Ash's trainer license and checked into (illegally) the pokemon league records. Mark read the file on his son in disbelief.  
  
"Top sixteen in the indigo league, orange island league champ and the Johto league champion." The three ranks began to play in his head over and over again.  
  
'My son did this with over twenty seven pokemon to chose from?' Mark read a little more on Ash's file and decided that it was actually less than that because he PR'ed them. (pokemon released)  
  
"Whoops! Times up!" Mark logged off just in time to not be caught by the pokemon leagues net police. "Now then." Since Mark wouldn't be able to use that computer for a while, he always kept a backup.  
  
'Let's try the legal way now.' Mark pulled up a search engine and typed up his son's name. What he found amazed Mark to no end. The next five hours were spent exploring his son's accomplishments. Ash had snuck his stash back inside after he had finished the juice off. Ash passed his father's den.  
  
'What's he doing?' Mark was glued to his computer screen staring intently at it. Ash tiptoed around the house bored, not wanting to disturb him. Soon it was time for bed.  
  
"Night dad." Ash called from his bedroom. Ash had just climbed into bed when he heard his father shut down his computer. Ash listened to Mark moving around in the living room. Mark sat down in the living room chair and pulled an old album from under it.  
  
"My boy." Mark whispered opening the old book. Pictures of a forgotten past rushed through Mark as he flipped the pages to the more recent pictures.  
  
'I guess he learned responsibility after all. How else can I explain those things he did.' Looking at the pictures, Mark fell asleep at the exact same time Ash did.   
  
*****  
  
Ash was having a great time with his pokemon friends in the forbidden grove. Ash had met Blue, a silly pokemon with a long, slender body; about the same time he had met Digger. Ash had just come back from fishing with his father and he was a little confused.  
  
"Hey Digger! Wait up for a sec!" Ash called to the pokemon in the distance. Digger was in mid jump so Ash's voice startled him.  
  
"LAR!" Digger almost slammed into a log by tripping on the landing. Ash however, saw what was about to happen and intervened. "Lar-vi-tar-lar-LAR!" Digger scolded.  
  
"Sorry! I just wanted to talk to you about something." Ash's expression turned serious for Ash, so the rock pokemon sat down and listened.   
  
"Lar-vi-tar Lar?" Digger asked. Ash sat down on the log next to the pokemon.  
  
"I just had a talk with my father about pokemon training." Digger fell over on the log. "Digger! Are you O.K.?"  
  
"Lar!!!?!!!" the pokemon sputtered. A yellow head popped back up but on the opposite side.  
  
"Don't worry! I didn't let on about you. Yeesh! I'm not that dumb," Ash said quickly.  
  
"Tarrr," Digger said relieved. "Vi?"  
  
"So it got me thinking. I'm not sure if I want to be a pokemon trainer anymore." Digger's mouth hung open in shock. "I still want to be with pokemon, like you guys, it's just that I'm not sure I want to train you. Pokemon do get hurt in battles…" Digger stared in awe at Ash.   
  
'This boy is worried about if I would get hurt of not. Ash really does care for me!' Digger's eyes watered over. 'What a guy.'  
  
"Lar!" Ash, caught off guard, was bowled over at the pokemon's embrace.   
  
"Woah!" Ash said once they were sprawled on the ground. "Take it easy. I said I wasn't sure!" Digger made a vow then and there that no matter what, if Ash asked to be his trainer, Digger would accept.  
  
"Lar-vi-tar,-vitar!" Ash sighed in frustration. What Digger had said made on sense.   
  
'What does he mean by that? "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."' Ash mulled over the meaning when Digger got off him and blushed.  
  
"Lar." Ash saw that he was sorry about. Ash was covered in mud.  
  
"Eeeyuck!" Ash sputtered once he got out of the mud puddle. It wasn't tainted brent mud so Ash was calm, but still was annoyed. "Can you find some clean water for me?"   
  
"Lar-tar!" Digger walked three steps to the right and jumped into the air. The Larvitar headed straight down at the earth, arms flailing wildly.   
  
"Eeeeep!" Ash suddenly jumped behind the log to avoid a maelstrom of dirt. Once the dirt stopped flying so high, Ash came out from behind the log. "Next time warn me." Then, the digging stopped.  
  
"Lar, lar lar!" Digger called for Ash. Ash peered into the three-foot crater Digger had made to see a large hole but no Digger.  
  
"Digger?" Ash called out into the hole. Diggers head popped out from the hole and Ash sighed in relief. "So? What did you find?" Later, Ash was walking with a small flashlight in a huge cavern.   
  
"Laaaaaaaar." Digger said in awe. Ash agreed with the statement. The cavern was huge! Ash had never seen anything like it. The remainder of the day was spent exploring the cavern. A few weeks later….  
  
"Eyaaaahhhoooooo!" Ash giggled as he slid down the underground waterslides. Ash and his poke-friends had worked on the cavern for weeks to make it the perfect play area. Everyone agreed that it was worth it. Ash loved being there, especially since he made a new friend lately.  
  
"Carp! Carp!" echoed the Magicarp beside Ash. Magic had found Ash again after being released. It surprised Ash but delighted him too. No he had two underwater friends. It was almost like magic so hence the name.   
  
"Dra!" Blue agreed. The cavern was mostly explored now with the exception of a few small caves Blue couldn't even fit through. Ash had the whole cavern planned out in his mind. There was going to be a magnificent tree house built that was going to connect the cavern to the surface.  
  
"Waaaah!" Ash giggled as he splashed in to the biggest cavern. Ash couldn't help but diving underwater in this cavern for a long time; it was so beautiful underwater that it almost took your breath away. Ash was diving deep when he spotted a cave that he never noticed before.  
  
'What's this?' Ash motioned for his pokemon friends to follow him. Ash took a look in the cave and surprisingly, it tunneled up to air. Ash could see the light emanating from above.  
  
"Gasp!" Ash gulped in the fresh air. Ash swan to the side of the cave to find it was level ground. Ash took a look around and saw something interesting. It looked like a bonfire waiting to happen. Very dry sticks were piled in a corner of the cave.  
  
"Dra?" Blue had seen it too. Ash climbed out of the water and made his way to the brush pile. The wood was so old, it crumbled at Ash's touch. Ash made his way to the center and found something surprising.   
  
"It's a huge egg!" In the center of the enormous nest was indeed an egg. Digger and Blue stood beside Ash and copied his look of absolute awe. Ash timidly walked up to the egg and touched it.  
  
"Lar!" Digger warned. Ash felt the surface of the egg; it was smooth, dusty and warm. Warm?  
  
"Dra!" squealed Blue in surprise. The egg began to violently rock back and forth. Ash took a step back and fell over as the egg cracked open.  
  
"Raaaargh!" The newborn wailed. Ash had never seen anything like it. It had huge wings, was totally gray and had sharp teeth and talons. Ash shivered involuntarily at the roar. Digger and Blue visibly paled behind Ash.  
  
"LAR/DRA!" Ash recognized that as the signal to haul tail. Ash scrambled to his feet and ran. Not too much later….  
  
"But we have to help it." Ash had ducked the talons the fifth time and had sent the winged monster into a lower part of the cavern roof. It had smashed into the roof and fell.  
  
"Lar-vi-tar!!" Ignoring the rock pokemon's protest, Ash climbed over a small rise to see the gray pokemon whimpering on the cavern floor. One of its wings had been broken in a least three places.  
  
"It's alright." Ash soothed as he made his way to the baby areodactyl. "I'll take care of you." Ash kept his promise. After setting the bones and nursing for weeks, the infant Arrow showed his gratitude by giving Ash a few flying lessons (Insert author's evil laughter here)  
  
*****  
  
Ash awoke again to Mark carrying in his breakfast. Ash yawned and stretched as he sat up to eat the bacon and eggs Mark had made. Mark wasn't actually a bad cook.  
  
"Ash? I want to ask you about something." Mark said out of nowhere. Ash swallowed the bacon he had been chewing, expecting the worst.  
  
"Ask away." Ash replied. Mark took in a deep breath signaling he was gathering the courage to speak.  
  
"I never thought to ask you this but-" Mark sighed. "-how were you at being a pokemon trainer? You weren't a failure were you?" Ash nearly barked out a laugh.  
  
"Hardly! Not many failures become the Johto league champion." Ash stopped for a moment remembering his pokemon and friends in Pallet. "I was at the top of my game when I came here dad. I guess that's why it took me so long to adjust back to my life here." Mark almost cried at the look on Ash's face.  
  
"I never knew you cared that much about your pokemon." Mark said quietly.  
  
"I cared for them from the moment I started my journey with Pikachu."  
  
"Tell me." Dumb folded by Marks request, Ash started from the very beginning with Pikachu. Hours passed and they moved from room to room in the house. Ash talked about Misty, Brock, Team Rocket, Tracey, the leagues, the Professor, Gary and his adventures. Then, around five pm, he got to his adventures with the legendary pokemon.  
  
"-then I shouted for the three birds to stop. Angered by my minor annoyance, they blasted their attacks at me." Mark let out a gasp.  
  
"You're kidding me!" Ash shook his head. "What did you do?"  
  
"Nothing." Mark gave Ash a skeptical look. "I was protected by the master of the sea, It was a legendary pokemon named Lugia. Oh dad! You should have seen it! It was the most majestic and noble pokemon I had ever met!"  
  
"LUGIA!!!!!" Mark interrupted. "But-but that's impossible! No one's ever seen Lugia before! Not in our lifetime at least."  
  
"I see you've heard of him." Ash said smugly. "I'll never forget what happened after the danger had passed." Ash of course went starry eyed.  
  
"What?" Mark asked eagerly. Ash sat back in his chair and smiled.  
  
"After I had retrieved the last orb from the isle of ice, Melody played the song I mentioned earlier and the three legendary birds went back to their islands. After which, Lugia gave me a ride on it's shoulders over the sea." Ash paused.  
  
"Then what happened?" Mark asked impatient.  
  
"Then Lugia brought me back to my friends and that was it. Oh! Mom came out by helicopter to meet me because she was worried." Marks face darkened at the mention of his mother.  
  
"Is that it?" Mark asked hotly. Ash felt a sweatdrop form on the back of his head.  
  
'I had better not tell him about the Entei adventure, he might get angry that I mentioned mom so much.  
  
"Pretty much, yeah." Ash felt his stomach turn at what Mark said next.  
  
"So, you didn't stay at home much did you? You know that you're not going to be traveling if you win a place in the tournament to get your pokemon."  
  
"I know." Ash said seriously. "But I would rather stay home and be with my pokemon than no pokemon at all." Mark studied his son and decided to drop the subject.  
  
"I'm going to cook dinner. You go find a book or something. After dinner, it's straight to bed." Mark got up and left for the kitchen, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts. Ash then realized something important.  
  
'Digger, Blue, Magic, Arrow! I haven't told them about my deal with dad.' Ash could have kicked himself. This was fairly important! If Ash returned to pokemon training they would be able to become his pokemon.   
  
"Ashura! Where's the milk?" Mark called from the kitchen. Ash sighed and joined his father in the kitchen to help make supper. Later, Ash went to bed with butterflies in his stomach.   
  
'I'll go all out. I won't hold anything back. I'm going to cream the competition in every event. I will get my pokemon back if it kills me.'  
  
"Ashura? You asleep?" Ash pretended to be asleep. It was force of habit because when his mom came in, she would be angry if Ash were still up. Mark came in and sat on the bed. Ash was surprised when Mark leaned over and gave Ash a kiss on his forehead.  
  
"Just try your best. That's all I can ask for," Mark whispered before leaving. Ash smiled before drifting off into dreamland.   
  
*****  
  
'Good grief!' Mark yelped to himself when he went sailing over his 5-½ year old boy. 'Where'd that come from?'  
  
"Dad, are you alright?" Ash asked, worried. Ash had just successfully carried out a hip throw on his father. Ash had seen the move in an old book in the library titled Ancient Self-defense Techniques.  
  
"I'm fine," groaned Mark from the floor. Mark sat up form a flat out spread eagle position. "Where did you learn to do that?" demanded Mark. Ash, who looked very sheepish right now, smiled slightly.   
  
"I saw it somewhere and decided to try it out," Ash said simply. Mark stared at Ash in disbelief for about three seconds and then roared in laughter. Ash didn't know what was so funny so he remained quiet.  
  
"Saw it somewhere huh? My son the mimic. Alright then, show me what else you've learned." Ash went into a defensive position and waited for his father to make the first move. "Ready?"  
  
"Ready," Ash replied. Mark started off with three boxing punches directed at Ash's face. All three of them were skillfully blocked by a simple deflection to the side. Next, Mark tried his three hit-fist combo, also deflected by Ash.   
  
'Let's see how he handles my kicks now.' Mark lead with a right hook that he would miss to get momentum for the right turnaround kick that was to follow. The punch was deflected like expected but what happened with the kick was unexpected.  
  
'I gotcha now dad' Ash ducked the kick by doing a summersault into Mark's left leg, causing Mark to lose his balance. As Mark tried to catch himself, Ash grabbed the shaky left ankle and pulled.   
  
"Whoa!" Mark fell over with a thud. After an hour or two of this Mark was finally frustrated enough that he was going all out on the boy without realizing it.   
  
'Dad's really getting into this.' Ash thought as he ducked another kick. 'I haven't had this much of a challenge in ages.' Another punch followed that also missed.   
  
'I don't get it!' thought a frustrated Mark. 'I'm using my best moves on him! Why can't I get him?' Sweat formed on his brow, something that had not happened in a practice for many years. Just as it seemed Mark would collapse, Ash grabbed Mark's shirt, put a foot into his stomach and rolled.  
  
"Whoah!" Mark yelled, again sailing through the air. On his back again, Mark didn't even bother to get up. "You win Ashura. I'm exhausted," Mark wheezed.   
  
"Awww, come on dad. You got more energy than that," Ash urged. Ash was delighting in the fact that his father had finally surrendered to him, but was disappointed that he didn't have anything to work up to now. Mark waved an exhausted hand in the air.  
  
"Sorry boy, but that it's it for today. Prepare yourself for tomorrow, you'll have some new training for tomorrow" Ash, excited by this new challenge, bounded up the stairs and out of his den.  
  
'Where does this boy get his energy?' Mark thought, still on the ground. Next day, same time…  
  
"Alright, since you've thrown me across the den a few times, let's see how you are with a weapon." Mark handed Ash a stick.  
  
"What's this?" Ash asked curious. Mark smiled and picked up his own staff. Ash took a closer look at the stick. It looked like any ordinary stick except for the blue circles painted on it. Mark had red rings.  
  
'Why would he pain rings on it?' Ash thought, puzzled. Mark read Ash's furrowed eyebrows and smiled.  
  
"They're the points where I want you to hit with." Ash gave Mark another confused look. "You see the rings?" Ash nodded. "I want you to block and attack using those points only."  
  
"Oh!" Ash said amused. This was going to be like the war games he played with Ken. The difference was that they played with pretend swords, not sticks.  
  
"Now prepare yourself. I'm going to show you some basic steps." For the rest of the lesson that day Ash mimicked his father perfectly, copying his every move flawlessly. Days passed and Ash picks up how to handle weapons. There was the staff, the sword, and chain, throwing stars…. You name it and Ash could use it with deadly accuracy. Then, one day the training changed.  
  
"Got you again dad!" giggled a six-year-old Ash. Mark froze at the sound of Ash's voice behind him. Mark could feel the blunt edge of Ash's wooden knife on his neck.   
  
"You've been practicing again haven't you?" Mark asked as he swallowed against the knife. Ash removed the knife from his father's throat and hopped down from the rafter he had been hanging from.  
  
"Yup. Surprised you didn't I?" Ash said with a smile. Indeed the boy had surprised Mark. For the last year of physical training, the boy surprised mark again and again by learning things in days that it had taken Mark years to master. Mark smiled down at his boy; finally the student surpassed the teacher.  
  
"That's it for today. Go find something else to do until I call you for supper." Ash bounded out of the garage with enthusiasm. The next day Ash went to Sheri's house for piano lessons as usual. The day after piano lessons however, marked the start of a different type of training.   
  
"Why aren't we in your den dad?" Ash asked as he followed his father into his room. Mark didn't respond but a small smirk crossed his face.  
  
"We aren't going to train physically today, boy. Today we start training your mind." Mark took out a key that Ash recognized as THE KEY.  
  
'We're going into the room,' Ash thought excitedly. There was a room that Ash was never allowed in that Mark locked up tightly with THE KEY. Ash was led to the second story of their home and stopped at the door.  
  
"In we go boy." Mark opened the door to reveal a room lit by a skylight that was covered in books. Ash stood there in awe of the entire room.  
  
'There's more books in here than in the library!' Ash almost ran into the room, excited to see so many books. Ash picked up the first book and started to read. Mark stared at his son who had picked up a book titled Science and Discovery Volume 10!  
  
"Ash, shouldn't you read volume 1 before reading volume 10?" Mark asked in disbelief. Ash didn't bother to look up from the book.   
  
"I already have with Robert. The library only has up to volume nine though," was Ash's reply. Mark, stunned out of his mind, decided to leave Ash where he was and left Ash alone in his study.  
  
'I have truly underestimated my son,' Mark thought with a grin. 'I haven't even read volume 8 yet, let alone 9.' Mark watched his boy devour every book in his private collection during the next three months. Mark decided to introduce him to computers after finishing the library, a huge step in Ash's training. Or so he thought…  
  
"I've been playing with Gizmo on computers for the last year and a half dad," Ash said as he sat down in front of his computer screen. "Are we hooked up to the internet? I can show you a few things I learned from him."  
  
"Sure we are. Go right ahead and show me what you've learned." What Mark thought would be an hour third grade game lasted for four hours and he had a difficult time keeping up. Needless to say, Ash's lessons had ended there.  
  
*****  
  
Ash woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. Ash snapped his eyes open, jumped out of bed and ran.  
  
'Today's the day!' Ash mentally cheered. Ash flew through his early morning chores like a tornado, packed his overnight bag and left Mark a note. Ash ran out of his house overjoyed that during the next three days he would finally prove he was responsible enough to get his pokemon. At the training center, Ash didn't get a warm welcome.  
  
"Look, it's super cadet," sneered a junior cadet Ash recognized as Trent. Trent was a first year scholar cadet and had been in the same class as Ash.  
  
"What? He's not going to fly to Aqua City?" jeered Ceris. Ash's mood dropped a bit.   
  
'What's their problem?' Ash thought as he received similar jibed from the rest of the cadets. Ash's face was flaming red when the bus pilled up. Ash was the only one without a suitcase to load on since he had his green backpack. When Ash boarded the bus, he received a surprise.  
  
"Where's Officer Jenny? I thought that she was driving us." Neo, her deputy, was in the front seat driving. Neo sighed and turned on the ignition.  
  
"Three people broke out of her holding cell by digging an enormous hole. She's out on big manhunt for them and overseeing reconstruction. She'll meet up with us at Aqua City." Ash groaned.  
  
'It had to be Team Rocket' Ash was sure that it was Team Rocket that escaped. Only those idiots would escape a jail cell by digging holes. Ash took a seat neat the back and tipped his hat over his face.  
  
"Dreaming about winning the tournament `Shura?" sneered Ceris. Ash didn't bother to remove his hat. "Well keep dreaming `cause that's as close as you're gonna get to that trophy." Ceris flicked Ash's hat off of his face.   
  
"Leave me alone Ceris." Ceris smirked and took a seat two seats behind Ash. Ash wasn't surprised when no one sat beside him. After all, Ash wasn't in cadet training to make friends and he totally upset the so-called balance of the cadets.  
  
'Looks like I got the whole seat to myself.' It was going to be a four-hour trip to Aqua city. Ash laid his hat over his face again and slept. Ash was aware of the bus stopping but didn't bother to wake up. Ash woke up to his hat being ripped off his face though.  
  
"What the-?" Ash woke with a start. Sure enough, there was Ceris with Ash's hat. Ash growled at Ceris, a warning to give the hat back.  
  
"I'm flushing the hat `Shura," Ceris yelled at Ash. Ash was already in hot pursuit when Ceris ran into the convenience store bathroom. Ash skidded to a halt in front of the door and slowly pushed the door open.  
  
"Ceris, if you flush my hat YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Ash walked in to see his hat in front of the stalls. Ash let out a sigh of relief and walked over to pick up his hat.  
  
"See you at the tournament `Shura." Ash whirled around to see Frank and Ceris shutting the door of the bathroom.  
  
"Hey!" Ash picked up his hat before trying the door. As soon as Ash touched the doorknob, he heard a thud.  
  
"That is, if you even get there in time," said another voice behind the door. He recognized the voice as Tyrel. Ash was furious.  
  
'They've been planning this together! Sneaky, manipulative jerks!' Ash began to bang on the door.  
  
"Let me out of here you creeps!" Ash heard the bus outside the door and paled. They had left without him.  
  
'No! No! No! No!' Ash wanted to rip something, anything, to shreds right then, but he didn't. Ash knew it wouldn't help anything. Ash looked for something to open the door with, after a few minutes.  
  
"They are going to regret this!" Ash growled to himself. "And that's a promise." Ash found a pair of pliers underneath one of the sinks. "Perfect!" Ash then used the pliers to take a bolt out of the door's hinges. The door swung open to reveal a very angry cadet.  
  
'Since Officer Jenny is going to be back late and I don't want to expend my energy…' Ash went around the back of the convenience store and walked into a part of the Forbidden Grove. When Ash came to the cliffs, he let out a high pitch whistle.  
  
"Pheeeee!" Ash then sat down and waited. Two hours passed until Ash heard the familiar flap of wings.  
  
"Rargh?" Asked Arrow puzzled. Ash walked up to Arrow and sighed.  
  
"I need to ask a favor." Later, Ash had said goodbye to Arrow after another two-hour ride and was on Aqua City's city limits. Ash knew the exact address of where they were staying. Ash didn't want to go see his fellow cadets after what they had done to him but he needed his bag.  
  
'If I even see one of those guys, I'm gonna explode.' Ash walked around for an hour before he found the hotel. (Ash's sense of direction has extremely changed by now in the fact that it had gotten better.) Ash walked up to the bus and peeked into the window.  
  
"Great," Ash said sarcastically. Ash's bag wasn't there. That meant that he would have to go looking for it. At the same time…  
  
"Where is he?" demanded Officer Jenny. She had arrived fifteen minutes earlier and decided to give her group a pep talk before they registered for the tournament. When all of the cadets filed into the lobby, Ash wasn't there.  
  
"Where's who?" Tyrel asked innocently. Officer Jenny looked around to see almost everyone copy Tyrel's innocent smile.   
  
"Where's Ketchum? I saw him board the bus this morning, where is he?" Ceris shrugged.  
  
"I think he's still in his room," Ceris offered. Officer Jenny looked past the boy's to the elevator.  
  
"Nick, give me your key," Officer Jenny demanded hotly. "If he's not coming down, I'm going up." As soon as she was in the elevator, about half the cadets burst into giggles.  
  
"What's so funny?" Nick asked nervously. Ceris, Tyrel and Frank stopped giggling for a moment and turned to Nick.  
  
"She won't find him up there or anywhere in Aqua City," Frank said with a smirk.  
  
"Ash was on the bus this morning but he wasn't after the convenience store," Ceris said with a smile.  
  
"WHAT?!?" Nick yelled. The troublemaking trio just smiled a Nick.  
  
"Calm down. We just locked him in the bathroom. It's not like we hurt him or anything," Ceris said with a snort. When Boomer and Nick paled a bit. Ceris knew something was wrong.  
  
"Oh, but you did hurt me." Ceris froze and went blue in the face. Ash was standing right behind him, angry and furious. For the first time in his life, Ceris was scared of a fellow cadet.  
  
"H-how did you get here?" Ceris asked. Officer Jenny came down in the elevator, Ash's bag in her hands, puzzled. All she could find in Ash's room was his bag in the middle of the floor.  
  
'I never thought Ash to be the messy type after my visit to his house. I'll have to have a talk to that boy.' Officer Jenny walked off the elevator and as soon as the door opened, she could hear the yelling.  
  
"-how I got here!?! You have no idea what this tournament means to me! How could you do something like that Ceris?! What did I ever do to you for you to pull such a nasty prank?" Ash yelled at a very angry Ceris.  
  
"What do you mean 'what did I do'? I'll tell you what you did! You stole my rightful place as Officer Jenny's favorite pupil! That's what you did! Ceris yelled back. Ash had finally reached his breaking point.  
  
"What? Why you…stupid, ignorant, JERK! You're that jealous that you nearly ruined the tournament for me? I never asked to be anyone's favorite! If you would get off your high horse for a second, you would realize Officer Jenny likes me because I actually take cadet training seriously!" Ash roared.  
  
"I'll show you who's a stupid jerk!" Officer Jenny saw Ceris pull back his arm for a punch and she froze; Ash didn't move, not even a flicker of an eyelid.  
  
"Think about what you're doing Ceris," Ash said calmly. Ceris couldn't think clearly because of his anger so Nick decided to take action.  
  
"Stop!" Nick grabbed Ceris' arm before he could swing. Officer Jenny finally found her wits and blew on her whistle.  
  
"Alright! That's enough!" Officer Jenny walked in between Ash and Ceris. "Would someone please explain what's going on here? Where have you been Ash?" Ash didn't answer right away, instead taking his bag from an angry and confused Officer Jenny. "Where do you think you're going? Come back here and explain this!" Officer Jenny demanded when Ash turned for the door. Ash turned around so fast it startled the woman.  
  
"I'm through talking! I'm not staying one more second than I have to in the presence of mean, cruel cadets or chicken, jellyfish who can't count on a bus or use their voice if someone's missing! I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight, but I won't guarantee you'll see me at the tournament." Officer Jenny saw the genuine anger and pain in his eyes.  
  
"Then here," Officer Jenny said, tossing a blue pokeball at Ash, which he caught effortlessly. "It's Silvermane's ball. Take care!" Ash was already out the door.  
  
'Jerk!' Ash thought as he left the building. 'I'll go to the nearest Pokemon Center. I don't think that Nurse Joy will mind if I stay the night.' Meanwhile back at the hotel, Officer Jenny dragged the story out of Ceris, Tyrel and Frank.  
  
'No wonder Ash was furious,' Officer Jenny thought before losing her own temper.  
  
"That was no prank! That was cruel and uncalled for! The first thing I would have done if I was him would be to punch your lights out!" All the cadets flinched.  
  
'I'm shocked that he didn't,' Officer Jenny mentally put in before continuing.  
  
"Don't you know what Ash had to go through to get here today? He had to take a job to pay for this! Hr had to beg his father to let him go. Ash had to learn faster and work harder than all of you combined there last three months just to have the right to be here." Absolute silence followed Officer Jenny's speech.  
  
'My God, they didn't know!' Officer Jenny was shocked. Boomer broke the silence.  
  
"Where does he work?" Boomer asked interested to know the answer. Officer Jenny hesitated before answering.  
  
"Bruce's Junkyard." A round of gasps echoed the cadets all around. "He had made his way to second about a week ago."  
  
"You're kidding, right? Please say you're kidding. You have to be kidding!" Nick begged. Nick remembered the hard labor he had done under Bruce during the summer before taking cadet training. Cadet training seemed tame after working for Bruce.  
  
"No, I'm not," Officer Jenny said seriously. Nick felt his heart leap into his throat. Ceris was in the same situation. Officer Jenny saw an immediate change in her cadets' attitudes towards Ash. Ash had earned the respect of all his fellow cadets just by hearing the tale. Much later…  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill.   
Author Note:Hee hee hee. Am I not evil ^_^ 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
"Goodnight Silvermane." Ash had let his pokemon partner out about an hour after the argument. Ash had cooled down a lot by then and was in a better mood. After a few hours of walking and goofing off, Ash went to the Pokemon Center and asked to stay the night.  
  
"Growl." Ash had been admitted and was sleeping peacefully in bed. Ash woke up to the sound of an electric crackle. Ash snapped his eyes open to see his alarm clock dead. Someone had cut the power from outside.  
  
"Wake up Silvermane," Ash urged. "We've got company." The sleepy pokemon shook himself awake and yawned. Ash got dressed and crept out of his room.   
  
'Security cameras are down. That means whoever is trying to sneak in doesn't want to be seen.' Ash walked as silent as a panther in the night, which surprised Silvermane greatly. Humans weren't supposed to see this well in the dark were they? As Ash neared the recovery room, he heard voices.  
  
"Hurry up Butch," Cassidy whispered. "We're late as it is." It was a usual Pokemon Center raid for the two; get in, nab the rare pokemon, get out.  
  
"I'm coming," Butch whispered back. Ash recognized the voices, but just barely. Ash tried to remember what the recovery room looked like: no windows, no skylight, and no adjacent rooms.  
  
'They're trapped.' Ash took out his handcuffs and motioned to Silvermane. Cassidy and Butch didn't know what hit them.  
  
"Flamethrower!" a voice suddenly yelled. Butch and Cassidy turned around to see a massive fireball exploding towards them. Then all was darkness. As the sun rose again on the Aqua City Pokemon Center, it was a scene of reporters, wailing sirens and a semi-awake Ash.  
  
"Is that him?" asked an unknown voice.  
  
"Is it true that he's the Cherry Canyon Hero?" asked another.  
  
"Did he just apprehend two of Team Rocket's best by himself?"  
  
"Is that his pokemon partner?" Reporters swamped Ash the moment he set foot out of the Pokemon Center. Luckily for Ash, the Aqua City Officer Jenny came to his rescue.  
  
"Nothing to see here, move along people." Ash was exhausted. Ash had around six hours sleep before Team Rocket broke into the center. Ash had been up for around three hours straight answering questions, apologizing for the mess and doing annoying official duties like paper work.  
  
"Thanks, " Ash said with a yawn as he entered the police car. "I don't think I can spare any energy for the news." The Aqua City Officer Jenny smiled.  
  
"Just try to get some sleep. I'll drive you to the stadium for the test." Ash was so tired he slept the entire drive there.  
  
'If only all cadets were that close to their pokemon,' Officer Jenny thought as she watched the pair sleep in the back. Ash was stretched out on the back seat with Silvermane nestled on his stomach. Officer Jenny absentmindedly caressed the pokeball that held her own Growlithe partner.  
  
"Wake up Ash, we're here." There was a snort and a yawn from the back. Officer Jenny watched Ash sit up and smiled.  
  
"What time is it?" Ash asked, eager to get started. Officer Jenny glanced at her watch.   
  
"9:30. Just enough time to register and get your seat for the test… What's wrong?" Ash's face scowled all of a sudden.  
  
"The reason I was at the Pokemon Center was that I had a fight with my cadet group. I'm not looking forward to sitting next to them during a test," Ash said curtly. Officer Jenny saw his point.  
  
"I don't think Cherry Canyon is arriving for the next two hours. If you hurry, you can register and be well on your way to being done before they arrive."  
  
'Things are looking up after all!' Ash registered right away and was sat down for the test. Around an hour and a half later, Ash watched as the Cherry Canyon cadets received their tests. 'Shoot! I was on the last question too.' His fellow cadets noticed Ash immediately.  
  
"Ash is here." Boomer whispered to Nick. Nick scanned the row of faces and saw Ash's hat staring down at a paper. Ash was aware of their eyes but decided to ignore them. The Cherry Canyon cadets were shown their individual seats around Ash and were instructed to work. Ash was about to circle the last question on the answer when he was passed a note.  
  
'What do they mean 'Do you work at the junkyard'? They could've waited to ask me this!' Ash scribbled his reply and tossed the paper behind him. Before anyone else could pester him, Ash circled his answer and walked up to the front.  
  
"Done already?" asked the supervisor. Ash nodded and set his paper down on the desk, the first of many to come. Ash was a free man for four hours until the first of the tournaments activities. Today would be the test of strength; tomorrow the obstacle course and pokemon battles and the third day would be the ceremonies.  
  
'I think I'll go and make a phone call.' Ash had been planning this ever since he learned that his father couldn't trace calls from another city. Ash found a terminal and dialed up his Pallet Town residence.  
  
"Ring, ring…" Ash hung up the phone in frustration. Ash had let it ring for at least five minutes.   
  
'What rotten luck! Mom's not home and forgot to turn on the answering machine.' Ash hesitated before dialing another number in Pallet Town. The person who answered the phone wasn't the one that he expected.  
  
"Hell, Oak residence. Gary spe-" Ash stared at the screen. Gary had stopped mid-sentence when he realized who it was. "Well, well. If it isn't loser boy."  
  
"I want to talk to Professor Oak. Is he in?" Ash asked, trying not to lose his temper. Gary stuck his nose up in the air.  
  
"Now why would you want to talk to my gramps? Only real pokemon trainers should bother his so I'm just going to hang up now."  
  
"Gary! Wait" Ash pleaded. Too late.  
  
"Click…" Ash sat for a few seconds in shock.  
  
'Why that arrogant, stuffed-up spoiled brat!' Ash slammed down the receiver. Three hours later found Ash in his training gear at his first match at the test of strength.  
  
"The first match is between Rico of Vermillion City and Ash Ketchum of Cherry Canyon. Would the contestants please report to the ring." Ash was sitting aside from the Cherry cadets on purpose.  
  
"Careful Rico, this guy looks dangerous," warned a fellow Vermillion cadet. Rico thought his friend was right, besides being separate from his fellow cadets; he had anger in his eyes.  
  
"I will, don't worry about me." Rico wasn't afraid of being hurt. He would just be cautious. Rico was the best Vermillion City had to offer. Ash walked into the ring calm and cool. The judge came in and went into the middle of the ring.   
  
"Go Rico!" Rico smiled and waved at his friends. Rico turned to face his opponent when he realized something.  
  
'Why aren't his cadets cheering him on?' Rico didn't have time to figure out why because the match started.   
  
"Come out fighting. Begin!" Rico charged at the sound of the bell and opened with a mighty left punch. Ash didn't move.  
  
'Wha?' Rico thought in surprise. Rico's punch hit nothing but air and Rico went flying out of the ring. 'Where did that come from,' he wondered.  
  
"Match goes to Ash Ketchum of Cherry Canyon." The Cherry Canyon cadets were just as surprised as the competition. Ash never moved this fast before in a sparring match, but no one could remember Ash ever losing either.  
  
'I don't believe it!' Officer Jenny thought, startled. 'I've never seen a move like that before. Where did Ash learn to fight like this?' Ash walked out of the ring and sat back down, all eyes following him.  
  
'And that's just the beginning.' Ash could feel everyone's eyes on him but chose to ignore it. Ash smiled to himself. Ash's anger was taken out on all the poor cadets Ash was pitted against. Not one person lasted more than one minute against Ash. Some didn't even get as far as Rico. Soon it was the last match of the day for Ash and he KO'ed the cadet in two moves.  
  
"T- that's all for now folks. The winner of this match is Ash Ketchum." There was a huge roar from the crowd as Ash left for the locker area. Normally, there would have been joyful congratulations from the rest of the cadet in Ash's group. None came. Ash walked out alone.  
  
'Tomorrow is another day. I just hope no one bugs me until then.' Ash was too tired to defend any verbal attacks from the rest of the cadets' but none came. When Cherry Canyon headed back to the hotel, they received a surprise as they boarded their bus.  
  
"Hey, am I that tired that I'm seeing things or is that Ash?" asked Nick. When the entire squad boarded the bus, they all saw Ash passed out in the front seat. Some smiled, some frowned, and some ignored Ash when they took their seats. Ash was woken up and steered to his bed at the hotel by Nick.  
  
"Poor guy needed a break," was all Nick's would say when the cadets asked him about helping Ash. The next morning was miserable weather so the pokemon battle was rescheduled for to go first. Ash and Silvermane whizzed through the competition like a hurricane. Ash's final battle was tougher than most because it was against Nick.  
  
"You battle well, Nick." Ash held out his hand to Nick who had picked up his partner Forest Fire. Nick stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before taking it.  
  
"You know, I was good, but I never really had a chance did I?" Ash stared at Nick, puzzled for a moment and before Ash could ask what he meant, a bell rang. "Lunch! You hungry Ashura? The guys are getting together and we were wondering if you would join us." Ash bit on his tongue to keep from saying yes.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I have to phone someone right now." Ash turned around and started to walk away. "I'll catch up with you later," Ash added over his shoulder. Ash walked through a throng of people to the phones and dialed home in Pallet again to get the same response as last time.  
  
'Not this again!' Ash hung up the phone and sighed heavily. 'This is not my day." Unknown to Ash, he was watched every step of the way. Ash made his way to the cafeteria to find no one there.  
  
'Figures.' Ash sat down alone and ate his lunch in peace. However, some whispers on the other side of the room weren't peaceful.  
  
'Who do you think he was trying to phone?' A harsh whisper growled.   
  
'I checked the booth afterwards and it called up a place called Pallet Town.' An all to familiar voice said.   
  
'Pallet Town? Never heard of it.' Another voice whispered.  
  
'Why would he be calling that place anyway?' Wondered one of the voices.  
  
'Well, at least we weren't caught spying on him. Come on, there's a pizzeria down the street.' Growled the harsh whisper again.  
  
'I wonder where everyone went?' Ash pondered the disappearance of his fellow cadets while eating. Soon, Ash was instructed to go to the course outside for his speed test. Ash and Silvermane ran with twenty other cadets and their pokemon that Ash didn't recognize. Ash had to go all out to leave the crew in his dust. Meaning Ash was a good twenty feet ahead of everyone else.  
  
'I don't believe it!' Officer Jenny of Goldenrod City thought as she examined her stopwatch. Ash Ketchum had broken the record for the last 100 years for the running obstacle course. Ash and his pokemon partner panted in exhaustion after the race.  
  
"Think we did it?" Ash asked his pokemon friend. Silvermane didn't say anything but walked over to Ash and recalled himself into the pokeball.  
  
'I thought so too.' Ash didn't bother getting up for a while. 'Well, dad, I did my best. I just hope it was enough.' Ash dragged himself off the ground and wandered over to the bus.   
  
"Hey, is that Ash?" Boomer asked in a shocked tone. Nick looked out the window to see a shocking sight. Ash was almost dragging his feet, carrying his bag and jacket haphazardly. Ash looked terrible.   
  
"Whoa!" Nick said in a low whistle. "He was a bit tired after the pokemon battles but this is ridiculous!" Ash walked onto the bus and collapsed in the seat. There was a silence that lasted until snoring could be heard.  
  
"How do you think he did?" whispered Frank.  
  
"Dunno. We'll find our tomorrow I guess," replied Nick. Ash slept the whole way back to the hotel. Officer Jenny had to shake Ash awake so he could get to his room. Ash was barely able of make the long walk to his room. Late that night…  
  
"We got a perfect score!" A read head woman had burst through some large doors into a private meeting. The woman's excitement was uncontainable. "We got a perfect score!"  
  
"Test scores are done," sighed the Azelia Officer Jenny.  
  
"Really, Miriem, every year you claim to have the perfect test score, but every year you miss something," the Lavender City Officer Jenny said in an annoyed tone. Miriem scowled at her fifth cousin.  
  
"Check it if you don't believe me." Miriem slammed the paper down on the big conference room table and stormed out of the room. The Officer Jenny of Goldenrod glanced at the paper and let out a startled shriek.  
  
"Something the matter?" asked the Officer Jenny of New Bark Town.  
  
"Yes!" the Officer Jenny of Goldenrod squeaked. "Do you remember why I was so excited this evening?"  
  
"Yeah, you said someone broke the record for the obstacle course," answered Azelia's Officer Jenny.  
  
"And his name is on this paper!" All of the Jenny's in the room were suddenly interested.  
  
"Let me see that," the Celadon City's Officer Jenny said. When she saw the name, she dropped the paper like it had bit her. "T-that's the name of the boy who won the test of strength." Viridian City's Officer Jenny let out a slow whistle.  
  
"He's also the one that won the pokemon battles." The room had gone totally silent. All the other Officers hadn't seen the name yet, so…  
  
"What's his name?" asked Aqua City's Officer Jenny. Once the name had been uttered, all the women smiled. "Well then, let's take a look over this paper. We might have to bring out the old trophy tonight." The next morning…  
  
"He's trying to make a phone call," three people said at once. Officer Jenny looked in the direction of the phone booths and saw a red hat.   
  
"Ashura!" Ash sighed when he heard Officer Jenny call him. Ash still had no luck when calling his Pallet Town residence so he just hung up. "We're leaving."  
  
"Sorry ma`m," Ash apologized. And took his place in the group. They were all boarded onto the bus when Officer Jenny saw Ash's concerned face.  
  
"Something the matter?" Officer Jenny asked out of nowhere. A startled Ash just shook his head.  
  
"Nothing for you to worry about," Ash was secretly worried about his mom. Even if she went away for a few days, she would have turned on the answering machine. Coming off the bus, Cherry Canyon was confronted by a familiar red haired woman.  
  
"Excuse me, but is this the Cherry Canyon group?" asked the flaming haired woman. Officer Jenny's reply was edged with suspicion.  
  
"You know it is Miriem. What are you doing here?" Miriem glanced past her for a moment to look at the cadets. Ash couldn't help but feel like a toy in a store window.  
  
"Which one is Ash Ketchum?" Officer Jenny's eyes went wide in recognition of what was happening and Miriem winked. "Your third cousin on you father's side would like to speak to him about the Pokemon Center incident," she said loud enough for all the cadets to hear.  
  
"Ash." Ash walked up beside his cadet leader reluctantly. "Go with Miriem here."  
  
"Yes ma`m." Ash followed the woman he now knew as Mireim. Ash was led into a huge conference room where a lot of Officer Jenny's were seated.   
  
'Brock would have gone nuts if he had seen this," Ash thought with a grin. There were wide eyes all around the room once the hat was recognized.  
  
"Where are Brock and Misty?" asked Officer Jenny of Celadon City. Ash lowered his eyes.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Ash muttered, looking at his feet. All the Officers in the room were silent.  
  
"We have something for you Ash." Ash returned his eyes to the women at the table. They all were smiling and looking rather pleased.   
  
"What's this about?" Ash asked, very uncertain. All the women got up from the table and left by a side door. The only people remaining were Ash and the Aqua City's Officer Jenny. Officer Jenny walked over to a glass case to Ash's right, containing many trophies.  
  
"Your know Ash, not many people can go through cadet training." Ash walked up beside her. "There are few people who can even complete the entire course, let alone get a good grade. They either are too brainy or too brawny to pass the other part of the course. It is rare to have your abilities."  
  
"What are you getting at?" Ash asked nervously. Officer Jenny took a key out of her pocket and opened the trophy case. Ash was amazed when she grabbed the biggest trophy there and handed it to Ash.  
  
"You're the first to ever receive this trophy, Ash. It's the all around cadet winner trophy. You took the top in every event." The ceremonies were long and boring. Ash was put on a pedistle in front of the cadets and stadium.  
  
'This is so boring.' Ash's feet were killing him. The Officers were all taking their turns speaking. Ash was searching the crowd for anyone he knew. Then Ash looked at the parent section he became very hurt. The Cherry Canyon section had two seats empty where his parents were supposed to be. Ash's father wasn't there.  
  
"For a guy who just won the entire tournament, he doesn't look too happy," Boomer whispered to Nick. Nick looked back at Ash and it was true. Ash looked more depressed than anyone he had ever seen.   
  
"I see what you mean," Nick whispered back to Boomer. Ash was furious. Ash was furious and sad and happy and…eergh. Ash didn't know what he was feeling.  
  
'I'm angry that dad didn't show up. I'm happy I won the tournament. I'm sad that I don't have anyone to share my accomplishment with.' Ash found himself on the driveway of his home in Cherry Canyon three hours later, no less confused.  
  
"What do I say to him?" Ash said in a sigh. "If I get angry, he might go back on his word about my pokemon. If I don't, he might do it again." Ash walked on and then suddenly stopped in front of his house.  
  
'Well, here goes nothing.'  
  
Disclaimer: Yada yada yada...  
  
So, Ash won the tournament but why wasn't Mark there? Find out next chapter (insert evil maniac laughter here). Believe me, it's something you don't want to miss! (huge grin) 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Pikachu was drowsing in the hallway. Nothing new had happened for the last day and a half. There had been some excitement when they came through the door yesterday, but nothing to speak of. Misty was with Mrs. Ketchum in the living room while Brock was in the kitchen. Nothing out of the ordinary in Pikachu's mind except one thing: Ash wasn't here.  
  
"Pi?" Pikachu's ears perked up. Pikachu heard footsteps outside. There was a thud, then a thump and another thud. Pikachu heard the doorknob rattle and it was too much for the pokemon. Pikachu bolted at the door.  
  
'What the???!!!' Ash had swung the door open to see a yellow fur ball soaring in mid air. Ash let go of his trophy in surprise. Ash was tackled by the yellow blur with surprising strength and fell flat on his back. Ash was disoriented for a moment until he heard the voices.  
  
"Pikapi!" Ash's heart skipped a beat. Ash didn't move for a second, hoping that it wasn't a dream and that moving would wake him up. Ash sat up slowly, unbelieving.  
  
"Pikachu?" Ash whispered. Ash stared down at the pokemon clinging to his midsection. Pikachu looked up at Ash and then Ash knew the truth. "Pikachu!" Ash yelled happily as he cradled his pokemon.  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu squealed happily in Ash's arms. The loving embrace lasted for a few moments before Pikachu realized something. "Piii?" Pikachu tugged on the ponytail coming out from the back of Ash's hat.  
  
"Hey!" Ash laughed. "What did you expect? I haven't had a haircut in three months." Pikachu began to inspect Ash's more subtle differences. Ash was more developed in upper body strength; Pikachu almost had his ribs broken in the hug. Ash had the same face but different clothes, he smelled like sweat and he looked tired.  
  
"Pikachu?" Before Ash could reply, their reunion was interrupted.  
  
"Ash!" It was Mrs. Ketchum. Ash stared dumbstruck at his mother and realized why his father hadn't shown up at the tournament. Misty and Brock stood beside her in the hallway. Ash had to really fight to hold back the tears.  
  
"Mom! Brock! Misty!" Ash jumped up and ran into his mom's arms. "I missed you guys so much." Ash lost the battle because tears of joy washed down his face. Everyone in the group hug was crying, including Misty. Ash was finally let go of and he smiled. The smile faded when he heard a booming voice from the den.  
  
"Ashura! Is that you?" Ash's reply was a shaky yes. "For god sakes, get in here!" Ash was surprised, then suspicious. His father never used that kind of language, ever, unless…  
  
"What did you do to him?" Ash asked in a low voice. The three humans smiled a mischievous smile and Ash went pale.   
  
"Nothing really. Go on outside for a while and I'll deal with your father," Delilah said with a smile. As tempting as that sounded, Ash couldn't just ignore his father. Ash sighed and picked up his crushed bag and forgotten trophy.  
  
"What's that for?" asked Misty, wide eyed and noticing the trophy for the first time. Ash smiled and gave her a wink.  
  
"You'll see," was Ash's reply.  
  
"ASHURA" Ash let out a yelp and calmly speed walked into the den. What Ash saw was nothing short of hilarious. Ash's dad was tied up from head to toe with rope and none too happy about it. Mark's face was red in anger and embarrassment that turned crimson when Ash started laughing.   
  
"Man dad, you and mom have a wild time while your kid was away?" This time Mark went purple.  
  
"Just untie me already!" Ash took some deep breaths and walked over to untie his father. Mark was so angry, Ash had to stop him from falling over - twice.  
  
"Now before I untie you fully, I have something to show you." Mark growled something about whatever it was could wait until he was free. Ash ignored the comment. Ash held up the trophy and deposited it onto Mark's lap.  
  
"Wha?" Mark asked, utterly confused. Ash grinned like an idiot before explaining.  
  
"You said that if I got first place in any event that I could return to my pokemon training at home, right?" Mark looked at the trophy, back to Ash and then to the trophy again.  
  
"You came in first?" Mark asked in wonder. Then Ash saw his father do something he rarely did; he got excited. "Which event? Don't keep me in suspense! What event was it? Tell me!!!"  
  
"In all of them" It didn't register in Mark's mind for a full second. Ash's reply was so sudden and so serious that Mark was surprised. Ash took the opportunity to untie that last of the rope.  
  
"All of them?" Mark whispered. Ash replied yes as the last of the rope was being undone. As soon as Mark was free, he jumped up and hugged Ash. "My boy! My boy won the cadet tournament!" Ash was picked up and swung around like a rag doll.  
  
"Dad!" Ash yelped. "I'd like to breath!" Mark stopped swinging Ash and set him down on the ground again.  
  
"What's all this about?" Delilah asked from the doorway. Misty and Brock were nowhere to be seen but Pikachu was by her feet. Mark's smile turned into a scowl when Delilah interrupted him. Ash could feel the tension in the level in the room skyrocket.  
  
"Pikachu!" Pikachu bounded up onto Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled as Pikachu nuzzled Ash's cheek and Ash returned the display of affection by rubbing Pikachu's chin.  
  
"How have you been Pikachu? I missed ya buddy." Ash was reminded of all the hardships he had been through in the last three months and added "a lot."  
  
"Hey, Ash!" Ash turned toward the window to see Brock and Misty outside.  
  
"Yo, Brocko!" Ash waved a bit. "What's going on?"  
  
"Come outside and see, we've got a surprise for you." Ash wondered as he walked out just what kind of surprise they could have concocted in two days. Ash ran with energy he didn't know he had.   
  
"What is …" Ash was cut off from speaking at the sight he saw. Brock's makeshift picnic table was loaded with Ash's favorites. It had been such a long time since anyone had done something like this for Ash that he went teary-eyed.   
  
"Surprise!" Brock said with pride. "Now before you demolish this work of art I would like to …"  
  
Groooowwwwwl. Everyone sweat dropped at the sound of Ash's complaining stomach.  
  
"Errr, never mind, eat up!" Ash obliged and ate all he could stuff down his gullet. Ash was just finishing his dinner when he heard his mother and father arguing.  
  
"OOOOH NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! You are not staying here!" Mark yelled. Ash sighed; this was going to be a long night.   
  
"You don't have a choice. I'm staying with my son!"  
  
"I said NO! This is my home and what I say here, goes!"  
  
"And you know what I say to that?!!" Ash waited for the bomb to explode. Amazingly, there were some murmurs from the house that no one could decipher.  
  
"Ummmm…Ash? I hate to tell you this, but your parents really don't like each other." Ash fell over in his chair. Brock was standing but did the same thing. Trust Misty to state the obvious.  
  
"What gave it away, Sherlock?" Ash moaned inwardly at this snap. Ash was about to get pounded when Mark roared Ash's name.  
  
"Ashura!" Misty, Brock and Pikachu jumped together. Ash was used to Mark's growls by now.  
  
"Coming!" Ash called back. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, predicting that Ash would need him in the next few minutes.  
  
"Nice knowing you," Misty teased. Ash rolled his eyes and went into the house to find his parents in the kitchen. Mark was on one side of the room and Delilah was on the other.   
  
"What's up?" Ash asked nervous. Mark cast an accusing glance at Delilah and growled his response.  
  
"Your mother has decided to grace us with her presence. She'll be in my room." Ash knew what was coming next.   
  
"So I get the couch," Ash finished for Mark. Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum gave a confused glance at Ash. "Misty and mom get your room. Brock and dad get my room and I get the couch."  
  
"You'll never get a wink of sleep on that couch," Mark growled.  
  
"And it doesn't look like you got a wink of sleep last night either," Ash quipped. "I'd rather be grumpy from lack of sleep than you grumpy from lack of sleep." So when it came time for bed the girls got the master bedroom, Mark got Ash's room and Brock insisted on sleeping in the living room with Ash.  
  
"Night Ash, night Pikachu." Brock curled up in his sleeping bag.  
  
"Pikachu, Pika pikapi." Pikachu replied to Brock. Pikachu was firmly snuggled on Ash's stomach.  
  
"Night!" Ash didn't really feel like going to sleep. Ash finally had his pokemon friends back, mom was here and his old friends were back. Ash was so happy that he went to sleep with a smile on his face. Ash's dreams were one's he had as a kid.  
  
Dream Sequence  
  
Ash was running. It was sunny, the grass was green and the morning smelled of dew. Ash was a kid again running in the most beautiful places in the forbidden grove. Ash was laughing happily as the dream form of Digger tackled him from behind. Ash was wrestling with Digger when all of his pokemon friends joined in, even friends who were gone. Squirtle, Charizard, Butterfree…even Primeape was there.  
  
"Ashura," a voice whispered. Ash's dream self smiled at the voice. "Ashura, you've grown up now. The forest will always welcome you. Be happy my friend." Ash continued to dream about his friends until…  
  
End Dream Sequence  
  
"Ash! Wake up!" Misty growled for the third time. Ash's eyes fluttered open just as Misty grabbed a pillow and…  
  
"Mis- phumph!" Ash was hit with the pillow mid word. Ash sat bolt upright making Pikachu roll onto his lap and waking the pokemon up.  
  
"Finally! I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes." Misty growled. Ash was about to snap at her when he realized she was still in her P.J.'s. Ash stretched out and yawned when he realized it was still in the middle of the night.   
  
"What're you doing? It's the middle of the night!" Ash said in an annoyed tone.  
  
"Pi, Pika!" echoed Pikachu. Misty sat down next to the couch so she was eye level with Ash. When Musty tool Ash's hand, he head to struggle not to squeak but he did blush.   
  
"I-We were all very worried about you Ash," Misty said seriously. "And we still are. Ash, are you all right? You don't seem to be yourself." Ash suddenly found himself on the defensive.  
  
"I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be alright?" Ash asked suspicious. Misty shifted uncomfortably to the left, nervous about what she was going to say.  
  
"Well, it's this place and ummm… your father," Misty said softly. Pikachu could see Ash's eyes burn when she said 'father' in a sympathetic tone.  
  
"What's the matter with my father?" Ash asked, trying not to growl. Pikachu could almost hear the fight now.  
  
What she is trying to say Ash is that your father is having a negative influence on you." Misty and Ash heard Brock roll over in his sleeping bag to become part of the conversation. "And we're not sure if we like it."  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Ash asked more than a little confused. Misty shook her head at Ash.  
  
"Ash, I've seen you save the world at least twice. You've gone up against Team Rocket more times than I can count. You've stood up to bullies, saved pokemon from ruthless trainers and helped others in need," Misty said with a sigh. "So why, WHY are you afraid of your own father?" The question stumped Ash.  
  
"You don't know him like I do," Ash said hesitantly. "He's a lot scarier than you can imagine if angry and he has such a short temper."  
  
"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked. "Pika! Pika-chu' pi pika pi." Pikachu had sparks flying out from his cheeks.  
  
"Waaaa! No Pikachu!" Ash grabbed Pikachu before it could bound off the couch to go shock his father. "I'm not afraid of him hurting me," Ash said trying to calm down Pikachu.  
  
"Then what are you afraid of?" Brock asked impatiently. Ash let go of Pikachu for a moment and sighted. There was a silence in the room.  
  
"I can't tell you that, not yet," Ash said in a small voice. Misty and Brock were shocked. Ash had been traveling with them for a long time; they had counted Ash as their closest friend. They knew Ash would never keep anything from them, unless it was too important.  
  
"Are you sure?" Misty asked with concern. When Ash turned over to stare at the inside of the couch, his friends knew the discussion was closed. Misty crept back into the master bedroom. Brock went back to sleep but Ash was wide-awake.  
  
'I'm afraid of my father for the same reason I'm afraid of everyone else. I'm afraid I'll hurt you if I tell you my secrets.'  
  
"Pikapi?" Ash looked down at Pikachu and realized something. Pikachu wasn't human. Pikachu wouldn't be able to tell anyone human. Pikachu might even understand Ash's secret life. Ash silently slipped out from under the covers and picked up Pikachu. "Pik-." Ash put a finger on Pikachu's mouth and shook his head.   
  
"Don't wake the house," Ash whispered. Ash still wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Ash slipped on his clothes, found his poke belt, put on his backpack and silently walked out the door.  
  
"Pikachu, pikapi?" Pikachu finally asked once they were a safe distance from the house. Ash set down Pikachu and sat down on the ground.   
  
"Pikachu, I'm about to let you in on the biggest secret of my life." Pikachu looked at Ash worried. "Yes, it's the reason I fear my father; but it's a bit more complicated than you think."  
  
"Pika?" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's lap and stared up into Ash's eyes.  
  
"My father doesn't err… approve of pokemon trainers. He thinks we're cruel to you pokemon. I'm afraid of what father would do if he found out what I've been doing for the last three months."  
  
'And most of my young life,' Ash added in his head.  
  
"I've been training pokemon. Pikachu, you're not the first pokemon I've been in contact with." Ash knew Pikachu would take it as quite a shock.  
  
"PI!?!" Pikachu said in alarm. Pikachu quickly scanned Ash's face to see if he could find any indication that Ash was lying. Pikachu 's ears wilted.   
  
"I was very young when it happened. I was lost and a pokemon found me. Instead of being afraid, I was happy. The pokemon liked me, so we kept right on playing together, soon we had other pokemon join us." Ash could see Pikachu's mood suddenly change from depressed to excited.  
  
"Pikachu-pi-ka-chu? Pikapi?" Pikachu checked the surrounding area by listening with its ears. Ash snickered when Pikachu asked where they were.  
  
"They're not here, silly. My dad would've found them a long time ago if they stayed near the house. Would you like to know my secret?"  
  
"Pikachu!" Pikachu bounded onto Ash's shoulder happily and struck a peace sign. Ash got up from the ground and giggled.  
  
"You might be sorry you said that." Not five minutes later, Pikachu was regretting having said yes. Pikachu was being thrown around like a rag doll. Ash head gotten so in shape in three months that Pikachu couldn't keep up with him. Ash's backpack was full so…  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu was being somewhat carried by Ash. Ash was running like a maniac, dodging tree limbs, bushes and other forest obstacles. Ash had to toss Pikachu up in the air a few times, catch the pokemon just to throw him up in the air again. When they came to Ash's first pulley system, Pikachu fainted because they went off a 100foot cliff. By the time they reached the tree house, Pikachu had swirls for eyes.  
  
"Pikachu?" Ash shook his pokemon gently. "We're here." Pikachu's first conscious sight in the last hour was of Ash smiling.  
  
"Pi?" Pikachu shook his own head and woozily made his way onto Ash's shoulder. When Pikachu finally focused, Pikachu saw an amazing sight. It was a huge tree house.  
  
"Well, what do you think?" Ash asked. Pikachu never saw such a huge tree house before. It covered the entire tree with rope, plastic and wooden planks.   
  
"Piiii" Pikachu was in awe when Ash suddenly jumped onto a log, launching the pair at a rope. Pikachu hung on for dear life as Ash climbed up the rope. When Pikachu saw the inside, he knew Ash had built it; only Ash could imagine a tree house like this. It was a mess!  
  
"Alright, you're about to meet my childhood pokemon friends. There's Digger, Blue, Magic and Arrow." Ash paused for a moment. "Err- don't be surprised about anyone and shock them. They're all rare pokemon."  
  
"Pika." Ash pulled on a rope and a trapdoor swung open. Ash let out a high-pitched whistle. When a growl responded, Pikachu jumped under Ash's hat.  
  
"It's alright Pikachu. It was just Magic." Pikachu's head came up along with Ash's hat. Ash pulled a string over the trapdoor and a rope ladder appeared. Ash climbed down with Pikachu attached to his head.  
  
"Dra-tini?" Once Ash was down in the beginning of Crystal Lights, Pikachu was in too much awe to be nervous. Blue splashed up to see a yellow fur ball on Ash's head.  
  
"Hi Blue. This is one of my pokemon from my pokemon journey. Meet Pikachu." Pikachu jumped down from Ash's head to properly meet Blue. Before Pikachu hit the ground, there was a huge splash behind Blue as Magic popped up behind the small water dragon. There was also a flap of winds and a small breeze.  
  
"Pi?" Pikachu's mouth hung open as the aeradactyl landed on the Gyarados' head. Ash waved a hand in front of Pikachu's startled face.  
  
*Translator on*  
  
'A Dratini, Gyarados and an Areodactly. Ash wasn't kidding when he said they were rare!' Pikachu realized he was staring and shook his head.  
  
"Hi, I'm Pikachu. Pleased to meet you." Pikachu held out his paw to Blue when another yellow blur ran in front of Blue. Pikachu was doubly shocked to see a Larvitar there.  
  
"Would you protect Ash with your life?" Pikachu was nearly bowled over by the question. What kind of a question was that to ask someone you just met?  
  
"Of course I would! What kind of a question is that!? I was his starter pokemon after all."  
  
"Pikachu, these are Digger, Arrow, Magic and Blue," Ash said, interrupting their conversation.  
  
"You know, you're not that strong to be a pokemon trained by Ash," Digger said after sizing Pikachu up. Pikachu was immediately angry.  
  
"What was that!?!" Pikachu growled, sparks flying from his cheeks. Digger crossed his front paws and motioned to the pokemon behind him.   
  
"We've all been trained by Ash and look at us. Magic's evolved, Blue's learned attacks only Dragonites are supposed to be able to learn," Digger's voice went into a low grow, "and I'm not someone you want to mess with." Ash became concerned by the way Digger and Pikachu were acting.  
  
"What's going on you two?" Ash asked a bit nervous.  
  
"You on the other hand, look as soft as a Pichu and slow as a slowpoke. Does Ash just keep you around for laughs or just because you just look cute?" Digger asked snidely.  
  
"Why you- I'll show you who's weak!" Pikachu began to spark when Blue went between the two quarrelling pokemon.  
  
"That's enough! Remember the rules Digger. Any pokemon who would protect Ash with their life is not out enemy." Digger and Pikachu backed off for a second.  
  
"He may not be my enemy, but that fluff ball sure isn't my friend." With that said, Digger simply turned to Ash.  
  
*Translator off*  
  
"Introductions over? Perhaps you would like to meet the rest of the gang?" Ash didn't notice the envy on his old friend's faces when he unhooked all of his pokeballs. "Come out everyone."  
  
"Baaay-leef!"  
  
"Cynda!"  
  
"Ooowl!"  
  
"Totodile!"  
  
"Bulba!" Arrow, Magic, Blue and Digger were introduced to Ash's pokemon. Surprisingly, Digger got along fine with the rest of Ash's pokemon. Bayleef especially liked Digger because it seemed to not like Pikachu either. Ash watched his pokemon mingle and smiled.  
  
'This is just perfect. I wish we could stay here forever.' Ash cut off the train of thought when he realized what time it was.  
  
"Yipe! Pack everything up guys! We have to get home and I mean now!" Ash recalled his pokemon and bid farewell to his other pokemon friends. Arrow and Magic simply went off before Ash left when Pikachu perturbed Digger.  
  
"Pika! Pikapi-pika-chu-pikachu!" All Pikachu said was a good bye and that they were leaving. Digger envied Pikachu so much because it was bale to go with Ash and Digger wasn't.  
  
'Almost forgot my pack.' Ash picked up his bag and realized that he still had scrap in it by how heavy it was. Ash hoisted his bag on his back and picked up Pikachu.  
  
"Bye!" Ash called out. Ash didn't expect and answer and wasn't disappointed when there wasn't a reply. Ash simply liked the echo the caves threw back at him. A short hour (and a dizzy Pikachu) later Ash was back at home doing his chores.  
  
"Groooooooowl!" Misty woke up to the sound of her stomach grumbling. Misty rolled over in the bed and found herself searching for her clothes. Once Misty was dressed, she stepped out into the hallway.   
  
'What's that?' Misty was assaulted with an assortment of delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. 'Brock must have made breakfast.' Misty left the bedroom door open to go find out what those delectable smells were.  
  
"Wow!" Misty saw the dinner table filled with the most appetizing food she had ever seen. There were mountains of pancakes, crépés, eggs, and sausages. Misty saw a gigantic bowl of strawberries in the middle of the table and couldn't resist.  
  
"Yum! They're fresh!" Misty grabbed a plate when Brock and Mrs. Ketchum walked in. Brock looked like he just got up.  
  
"Wow Misty! I didn't think you could cook like this. I should be taking lessons from you!" Brock said eyeing the food. Misty was confused for a moment.  
  
"I didn't cook this. I thought you did." Brock looked at the food again.  
  
"It wasn't me." Mrs. Ketchum grabbed her own plate and shuffled a sausage onto it. Misty and Brock watched her eat the meat. When she was done with her bite she smiled.  
  
"Well this is a rare treat. Mark cooked this up." Misty and Brock's jaw dropped/ Misty came out of shock when her Togepi tapped her lightly.   
  
"You're telling us that Ash's father cooked this?" Misty asked Delilah. Brock copied Misty's actions began to dish up as well.  
  
"It's his cooking alright. Mark makes a lousy meatloaf but good sausages." Delilah then realized something. "Where's Ash?" Is he still asleep?" Brock took a big bite of pancake before answering.   
  
"I'm not sure, I think so. I was too tired to notice if he was up or not. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, shouldn't we wake him up to eat?" Delilah asked. Misty and Brock gave each other a glance and all three burst out laughing. "You're right. Let's eat." They all took a big bite of whatever was on their plate when they heard the voice.  
  
"What's so funny?" Everyone stopped dead and looked at Mark in the doorway, their faces turning blue. Mark was still in his P.J.'s with a housecoat thrown over him. Misty nervously swallowed the food she had in her mouth.  
  
"Ummm, nothing…have you already been up today sir?" Misty asked. Misty's stomach did a flip-flop when Mark answered her.  
  
"No, why do you ask?" Mark wanted to know with a confused tone. Brock dropped his fork, Misty covered her mouth and Delilah went pale. "What's the matter?" Mark picked up a fork, loaded a sausage on it and took a bite. "It's not the food, so what's the matter?"  
  
"It's the cook. Did Ash cook all of this?" Mark gave her a worried look.  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"That's what I was afraid of. Excuse us." Misty, Brock and Delilah left the kitchen in a jog for the bathroom. Mark sat down with his loaded plate and shook his head.  
  
"More for me then."   
  
Disclaimer: You get the idea.  
  
Heh, Couldn't stomach the thought of Ash cooking by himself could they? My favorite part is the very beginning of the chapter with Mark. As my beta reader points out a lot 'that's just evil! I like it!' 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Ash was outside, tending the greenhouse when he heard his father calling him.   
  
"Ashura! Get in here!" Pikachu jumped five feet at the sound of Mark's voice.  
  
"Coming!" Ash got up off of the soft ground and walked over to his house. Ash picked up his bag on the porch but didn't notice how light it was. Ash walked in the door to see Mark with Psyduck.  
  
"One of yours?" Mark growled. Ash took the dopey duck and shook his head.  
  
"It's Misty's. It always comes out of its ball at the most peculiar times. Why? What did it do?" Mark's angry scowl made Ash pretty curious.  
  
"Don't go into the laundry room. I'll hold its trainer responsible for what the pokemon did." That got Ash's attention.  
  
'It must be totaled in there!' Ash thought to himself. Ash didn't have time to check it out, he had cadet training. Ash didn't notice that anyone was tagging along when Pikachu  
jumped on his shoulder.  
  
"Pika-chu!" Pikachu scowled and nudged Ash. Ash wondered what Pikachu nudged him about when he saw someone coming up the driveway. It was Ken!  
  
"Ash!" Ken was once again tearing up the driveway on his bike. "Ash, youwon'tbelievewhathappenedtoday" Ken went silent when he noticed Pikachu. "A Pokemon?!?" Ash smiled at Ken's amazement.   
  
"Yep, Pikachu, meet Ken. Pikachu was my starter pokemon when I went on a pokemon journey." Pikachu warily let Ken scratch behind an ear.  
  
"He's magnificent! I don't think I've seen a healthier pokemon before," Ken said eyeing Pikachu.  
  
"Chu!" Pikachu complained when Ken stopped scratching. Ken's mood went from amazed back to excited.  
  
"Ash you won't believe who I ran into today! I came to warn you." Ash sweat dropped at Ken's smile. "Sasha's back in town." Ash froze. Pikachu had seen Ash nervous before but not like this. Ash had gone pale, he immediately began to sweat and he began to stutter.  
  
"Y-y-you're k-kidding right?" Ash asked in a small voice. When Ken shook his head, Ash visibly paled again.   
  
"Pikachu? Pikapi?" Pikachu waved a hand in Ash's face to see what was wrong.  
  
*****  
  
"Come on, it's not like I'm going to hurt you or anything," yelled a little girl underneath a huge tree. There was a pause. The green haired, violet-eyed girl simply leaned against the tree and smiled when she heard a whimper. "You know, one of these days I'm going to come up there after you."  
  
"You wouldn't dare!" squeaked a voice in the treetop. Ash peered through the braches to see her smiling up at him.  
  
"Oh yes I would," Sasha replied. Ever since Ash had gone to a birthday party for Sheri, Sasha was following him around and thoroughly embarrassing him. The only escape was to climb a tree.  
  
"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Ash whimpered. Ash couldn't understand why she wanted to do all those things to him. It just didn't make sense that she wanted to hold his hand and kiss him all the time. What did he ever do to her!?!  
  
"Because I still want that little kiss Little A," Sasha replied. Ash began to get comfortable; he was going to have to wait her out. An hour passed, then another hour, then on the third hour, Ash heard his father calling to him.  
  
"Ashura!" Mark was calling from the flower shop. Ash began to climb down the tree.  
  
"Coming!" Ash called back. About two branches from the ground, Ash looked around for Sasha. Ash didn't see her around the base of the tree or in the bushes nearby.  
  
"Ashura!" Mark called again, closer this time.  
  
'Dad must be in a hurry, he's coming to look for me,' Ash thought as he climbed down to the last branch.  
  
"Over here!" Ash called out. As Ash jumped down onto the grass, he was tackled from the side. "What? Sasha!?!"  
  
'What did my son do now?' Mark thought in a groan. Mark expected the two to start fighting when Mark saw the unexpected; the girl was kissing his son! The kiss lasted for about three seconds before Ash struggled. Ash rolled out from under the green haired girl in a jean dress and went up the tree. Mark had to struggle not to laugh.  
  
"Come on Ash! That wasn't much of a kiss," the girl begged up to Ash in the tree.  
  
"Go away!" Ash growled in the treetops. Mark had to really, REALLY struggle not to laugh. It was the most humorous sight Mark had ever seen! The girl had a large crush on Ash and Ash didn't know what to do so, to get away from her, he climbed trees! Mark regained his composure and called his son again.  
  
"Ashura!" Mark called out, pretending to be annoyed. The girl quickly turned towards the voice and saw the most handsome man she had ever seen. Ash hearing his father's voice, decided that maybe his father would save him.  
  
"Dad, over here!" Ash yelled. Sasha looked at Mark and then back to Ash.  
  
"Excuse me, but have you seen my son, Ash?" Mark asked the girl. Sasha smiled knowingly and nodded. "Where is he then?" Mark asked. Sasha pointed up into the tree and saw Ash's red face and smiled "What're you doing up there boy? Come down and say goodbye to your little friend here, so we can go."  
  
"I'd rather say goodbye from a safe distance," Ash mumbled. Ash began the long climb down reluctantly when his father got an idea. Before Ash could jump off the last branch his father went under him.  
  
"Climb on sport. I'll give you a ride home." Ash eagerly climbed onto Mark's back. Ash quickly said his goodbye and was carried off by his dad.   
  
'If that is what Ash is going to look like when he gets older, he's mine!' Sasha thought after Ash had left. Sasha began to plot how to get Ash's affections when they both got older. The chasing of Ash didn't stop until she left for the summer and returned in the winter. Then it came to an abrupt halt when Ash moved. Sasha was heartbroken.  
  
*****  
  
After successfully sneaking around town, Ash and Pikachu found their way to the training center.   
  
"Pika-chu. Pikachu pika chu pika kachu." Pikachu didn't see why they had to sneak around like thieves.  
  
"I know, but believe me, this is necessary!" Ash walked into the cadet training area to see Officer Jenny…alone?  
  
'That's odd, where's everyone else?' Ash walked up to Officer Jenny. She seemed surprised to see Ash.  
  
"Ash, what are you doing here? Graduation is two days away, you don't have to be here," Officer Jenny stated as soon as Ash was in range. Then Officer Jenny noticed Pikachu. "What?"  
  
'Here we go again.' Ash made introductions, needless to say, Officer Jenny was impressed.   
  
"I was just going to do a few laps around the track with Silvermane today anyway. I have company at home and…what's the matter?" Ash got worried when her features suddenly turned dark.  
  
"I don't know how to tell you this. Once the graduation ceremony is over, Silvermane will be assigned a post with an officer of the law." The world around Ash seemed to crumble.  
  
"What?" Ash asked quietly.  
  
"I said…" Officer Jenny began to say. Ash interrupted her.  
  
"I know what you said, it's just that … I wasn't expecting this. I thought that the pokemon stayed with the cadets that trained them."  
  
"They do normally, because the cadets go right into an Officer job." Officer Jenny paused. "You're not going into an Officer job are you?" When Ash nodded, Officer Jenny's stomach did a flip-flop. "But, why? You're the best cadet I've seen in a long time!"  
  
"I'm a pokemon trainer," Ash said interrupting Officer Jenny. "Not a cadet." Officer Jenny stood there dumbstruck. For some time now she had known Ash was different, from the start to the finish Ash was a cut above the rest of the cadets. "Even though it seems that I do both jobs at the same time." Officer Jenny was interested for a moment.   
  
"What do you mean by that?" Officer Jenny asked, curious. Ash scratched Pikachu's chin while he answered the blue haired cop.  
  
"Before I even came here three months ago, I was constantly fighting team rocket. For some reason they want Pikachu here and they wouldn't leave me alone. So, when going on pokemon journeys I would have to fight team rocket off too." Officer Jenny was struck with an idea.  
  
"Ash, how long are you sticking planning around here for?" If he would just stay in town until graduation, it would be perfect.  
  
"Until I can convince my dad to let me go on a pokemon journey. It was interrupted when dad came and got me. So I'll be here for a while longer."  
  
'Great! Now if I can just get all the other Officers to agree to this…' Officer Jenny was called on the radio by her deputy and had to run. Ash, excluding Pikachu, was left by himself, in the training center.  
  
"Pikachu, Pikapi?" Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and pointed at the disassembled equipment.  
  
"No Pikachu, I don't think we're allowed to use the cadet training gear. I guess I'm officially done cadet training. Too bad, I would've liked for you to meet Silvermane." Ash choked on his pokemon partner's mane. Pikachu sensed his trainer's grief and let himself be taken up in Ash's arms. The full shock that Ash had lost a friend finally hit Ash.  
  
"Pikapi." Pikachu comforted Ash by licking his tears away. After a while, Ash wandered out of the cadet-training center with Pikachu in tow. To Ash's surprise, Ken was waiting outside for him.  
  
"Got bored already? I thought you might get bored with no one watching you. What?" Ken asked innocently. Ash had given him an if-looks-could-kill glare.  
  
"Are you implying I'm egotistical? If you are, I will have to kill you." Ash gave Ken a wink. "Just on general principle."  
  
"Hah! You wish, Ashy-boy." Ken held up a ten spot and smiled. "Want to help me spend my allowance? I just got it yesterday." Pikachu gave another perplexed look at Ken.  
  
"As long as I get to chose what I order," Ash said with a snicker. Ash remembered the last time Ken splurged with his allowance. Ash had a bellyache for three days! Ken laughed and slapped Ash's shoulder.  
  
"Pika chuu!" Pikachu gave Ken a jolt of electricity for nearly knocking him off of Ash.  
  
"Pikachu! Ken's a friend! Sorry about that Ken." Ash helped a smoldering Ken up off the ground. Ken let out a puff of smoke and moaned.  
  
"Yep, really strong and healthy. I don't' believe that Pikachu is yours Ash, I mean with your father and all," Ken said as the pair walked to Candy's.  
  
"Pikachu was my starter pokemon. Oh!" Ash suddenly remembered all of his other pokemon pals in his bag. "I have other pokemon, would you like to meet them?" Ash asked.  
  
"Maybe later. Right now, I'm more interested in a double coca shake and…" Ken gave Ash a knowing look.  
  
"Double cheeseburgers!" Ken and Ash said in unison.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu growled. Ash sweat dropped and sighed.  
  
"We're going to have to add a bottle of ketchup for Pikachu here." Ash turned the corner and crashed into something, or rather someone. "Oh! I'm sorry," Ash apologized before he saw the violet eyes.  
  
"No, it was my fau-" Sasha stopped mid-sentence. Brown eyes, black hair, and zigzag birthmarks. "Ash!" Sasha squealed. Ash shoved Pikachu to Ken and ran.  
  
"I'll find you guys later!" Ash yelled as he ran down the street. Sasha got over he apparent shock and charged after him.   
  
"Get back here, Ketchum!" Sasha yelled at Ash.  
  
Pikachu was left with a giggling Ken. Pikachu gave Ken a questioning look that Ken understood.  
  
"That, my little furry friend, was Sasha Ennean, the number one hopeful to become Mrs. Ash Ketchum." Pikachu lost his balance on Ken's forearm and fell over.  
  
"Pika!?!" Ken leaned against the wall and began to laugh hard at Pikachu's reaction.  
  
"T-th-the pooor guy!" Ken puffed. "S-sh-s-she's been chasing him f-for years.!" Ken had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Sasha has had a crush on Ash ever since she met him," Ken explained.  
  
"Pikapi?!" Pikachu asked, disbelief written across his face. Ken began to walk towards the candy shop.  
  
"Never left him alone after that. Sasha is determined to get a piece of Ash had well…Ash doesn't want to be caught." Ken walked into the shop and was the immediate center of attention. It was rush hour and everyone was sitting down to eat. Ken spotted the little society with open mouths and headed towards the table.  
  
"Ken, where did you get a Pikachu?" asked Sheri as soon as Ken was within earshot. "I didn't think you were interested in pokemon training." Ken didn't answer Sheri's query.   
  
"Hey Candy, would you mind if I unlocked the back door?" Candy gave Ken a suspicious look.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm expecting some company." Everyone at the table stood up. Ken was surrounded in a heartbeat.  
  
'Uh-oh.' Ken thought once the questions started. 'Sorry Ash.'  
  
Meanwhile.  
  
"I'm going to-to flatten him with my mallet! I'll knock him into next week after I've turned him upside down and shaken enough money for my bike out of his pockets," Misty fumed. Togepi was in her arms, giggling at the new sights.  
  
"Simmer down Misty," Brock said soothingly. Misty was angry with Ash because of the breakfast that morning and the fact he left them behind again. "I'm sure he'll show up sooner or la-" Brock was cut off by a blur zooming in front of them. Then Brock recalled another voice distinctly saying…  
  
"Get back here Ketchum!" Sasha was in hot pursuit of the boy she hadn't seen in years when a foot suddenly shot out in her path. "Whoa" Sasha tripped and crashed into a garbage can. When Sasha jumped up to see a girl with flaming red hair, holding a strange pokemon and an older guy with squinty eyes and black hair. "What's the big idea?" Sasha growled. The red head spoke.  
  
"What were you doing chasing after Ash like that?" Misty demanded, very annoyed. Sasha brushed herself off and fixed her hair.  
  
"I don't think we've met. I'm Sasha." Sasha flipped here hair nonchalantly. "And I don't think it's any of your business why I'm chasing him." Sasha turned around to see no sign of Ash. "Excuse me." After she was out of sight Misty began to fume.  
  
"Pssst!" Brock and Misty heard the distinct whisper of someone trying to get their attention. A face popped out from around a corner behind them and whispered, "Is she gone?"  
  
"What in the world are you doing Ash?" Misty asked once Ash had joined them. Misty's face turned a little red when she asked the next question. "And who was that?" Ash shuddered as if cold and shook his head.  
  
"Don't ask. There's a candy and sweet shop about three blocks down and two blocks to the right. I'll meet you guys there." Ash turned away and ran down the alley.  
  
"What do you think that was all about?" Brock asked Misty. Misty stared blankly at where Ash had disappeared.  
  
"I have not a clue," Misty said in a groan. "But why do I feel we're about to find out?" When Brock and Misty entered the sweet shop Ahs had told them about, it went dead silent. There was an uncomfortable pause for Brock and Misty as they entered and sat down on stools.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu suddenly bounded out of nowhere and sat on the stool next to Misty.  
  
"Hi! You must be friends of Ash's." Misty and Brock focused their attention on the boy that had approached them. "I'm Ken, one of Ash's friends here."  
  
"Hello." Brock greeted Ken uncertainly. Misty studied Ken's clothing. It was amazing how close it was to Ash's own; dark blue jeans, sneakers, a dark green t-shirt, a red and white jacket, and to top it all off, a black hat.  
  
"My friends and I were wondering if you would like to join us." Ken put on a very wicked grin. "It would be great to know what little A has been up to for the last few years." Brock and Misty gave each other a glance.   
  
'Little A?' They both thought at the same time. Misty and Brock shuffled over to the table and began to tell their stories of how the met Ash. A while later…  
  
'That was close,' Ash thought as he slipped in the back way of the sweet shop. "Sasha and the terrible trio! What a day," Ash moaned. There was a round of laughter that sparked Ash's interest from the lounge. Ash snuck into the lounge and all his attention was on the little society's table.  
  
"Then there was that time when Ash got dressed up as a Mt. Mime," Brock was saying with tears in his eyes.  
  
"We were helping out a circus leader by trying to make a real Mr. Mime jealous," Misty added. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the time it took to convince Ash to get into that costume."  
  
"Was he convincing?" Gizmo asked, interested. Brock and Misty roared in laughter.  
  
"Convincing? Ash was more than convincing! He was stolen by Jessie, James and Meowth!" Another roar of laughter echoed in the building.  
  
"That's almost as funny as Ash's garbage drop!" laughed Robert. Misty and Brock leaned in to hear the story when Ash interrupted.  
  
"What's almost as funny as my garbage drop?" Ash asked suddenly. The whole room seemed to jump.  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu ran up to Ash and jumped on his shoulders. Pikachu gave Ash a pat on his eat and smiled. The room was dead silent.  
  
"Yesh! You'd think that someone had just died in here," Ash said jokingly.  
  
"Someone is about to die. You!" Ash's face went blue in fear when he was Sheri moving towards him.  
  
"Uh, hi Sheri." Ash said, his voice quivering. Sheri stopped, getting in his personal space.  
  
"Don't you 'Hi Sheri' me you idiot. If you were back in town three months ago, why didn't you phone me? Or stop by to see the gang? Or at least let your presence be known!?!" Ash was backed up into the counter and let out a nervous laugh.  
  
"Well, I've kinda been busy," Ash said nervously. "And dad has me on a curfew," he added when flames seemed to appear miraculously behind her.  
  
"What did you do now?" Sheri growled. Ash was relieved that she calmed down after the curfew explanation.   
  
"Pika- chu" Ash saw the sparks coming out of Pikachu's cheeks and clamped a hand over his mouth. Ash was fried. A few minutes later a smoldering Ash sat down at a table. Gizmo didn't know if it really was Ash or not so he divided to test him.   
  
"Arboc, Spinerack, Hitmonlee?" Gizmo said right out of the blue. The replied answer was instantaneous and correct.  
  
"Geodude, Ivysaur, Zapdos, Moltres, Omanite. Golduck?" The entire store was confused.  
  
"Golduck!" Gizmo stated, teary eyed. "It really is you! I've missed you so much little A." Ash's smile warmed everyone's heart.  
  
"I've missed you guys too. I have so much to tell you guys. I don't know where to begin." Ken gave Ash a wink.  
  
"Just start from the beginning," Ken said simply. The crowd left the table as Ash began to recite the same conversation he had with his father not too long ago. Misty and Brock added their two cents in now and the. When Ash was done Misty and Brock gave him an unbelieving look.  
  
"You aren't done yet Ash. You still haven't told them about your adventures with   
Lu-phia?" Ash shoved a bread stick into her mouth before she could say another word.  
  
"I would love to stay and chat but we've really got to go. Curfew's still in effect you know." Ash shushed Misty and Brock out of the door. Once they got outside, Misty jumped down Ash's throat.  
  
"What did you do that for!?! U almost suffocated! Next time I'll bite your hand!"  
  
"Calm down," Ash said in a soothing tone. "I just didn't want them to know about my adventures with the legendary pokemon."  
  
"Why not?" Brock asked. Ash looked around just in case someone was within earshot. Ash's tome changed from normal to ultra serious.  
  
"I'm already the official town super boy. I don't want to add to it." Misty and Brock gave the glance to each other and laughed. Hard. "I'm serious!" Ash growled.   
  
"That's not the Ash I know," Misty giggled. Ash began to turn red.  
  
"The Ash we know wouldn't hesitate for a second to tell someone about his adventures. Especially to show off his training skills," added Brock. Ash had steam drifting off of his head.  
  
"Pi-ka, pi Pikachu," Pikachu agreed. Ash went totally silent.  
  
"I'm not the Ash you knew anymore," Ash said darkly. Ash turned and ran down the street, not caring who saw him.   
  
Disclaimer: Yah yah 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
"I'm not the Ash you knew anymore."  
  
"Ash wait!" Ash ignored his friend's pleas and ran on. Ash didn't stop and wasn't aware of his surroundings until he tripped over a stone. Ash fell over onto the mossy ground and began to sob.  
  
'Why can't I stop crying?' Ash asked himself. Ash already knew the answer; it was because he was finally letting out all the frustrations and sadness he had built up for the last three months. 'I'm acting like a selfish, spoiled brat…but I can't stop.'  
  
"Lar?" Ash was numbly aware of Digger's presence. When Ash was done crying he fell fast asleep. Blue and Digger had seen Ash bolt by the house from under their hiding place under the porch. When they found Ash crying by himself like many times in the past, they felt anger boil out from the pits of their pokemon stomachs.  
  
"Dratini…." Both pokemon comforted Ash as he had cried. Ash had reverted back into a childhood habit of sleeping right after a good cry so both pokemon stayed to keep him warm. Blue and Digger watched Ash with heavy hearts while he slept.  
  
At that moment…  
  
"This is all you fault!" Mrs. Ketchum yelled at Mark. Misty and Brock had come home without Ash and had told his parents what happened. Delilah was furious.  
  
"Wait a minute! How is this my fault? I wasn't even there! Be fair Delilah," Mark protested in his defense. Delilah shook a finger at Mark.   
  
"I don't know what you did to him, but whatever it was, it was serious. You changed my sweet, outgoing boy into-into…"  
  
"A man?" Mark cut in. "I gave him boundaries and rules to live by, nothing more." This time it was Brock and Misty who scolded Mark.  
  
"You also took the fun out of Ash's life," growled Brock. "Without Pikachu, Ash loses all happiness."  
  
"You separated Ash from what he loved most in this world; his pokemon and his friends," Misty added in. "You say you gave him boundaries and rules but you really gave him a cell and shackles!" Mark was the one now furious.  
  
"How dare you? I brought my son home to teach him responsibility! That's why I told him to leave his pokemon with his mother!" Mark yelled at the three.   
  
"Ash is the most responsible person I've ever met!" Misty yelled back. "You would know that if you would watch him with Pikachu."  
  
"Don't you tell me I don't know Ash! I raised the boy 7 months of the year. He's forgotten more things then you can possibly hope to learn in an entire lifetime. And I taught it to him."  
  
"What's his favorite colour?" Delilah asked calmly. "What's his favorite food? Who's his biggest rival? What pokemon does he have? What leagues did Ash attend?" With every question Delilah got more furious. Mark replied with a cold note in his voice.  
  
"Blue, your pizza pot pie, Ceris, with him. Ash had Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Noctowl, Totodile, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu. Ash attended the Indigo league, came out in the top 16, the orange league, he beat the champion and the Johto league, and he took the winner's title." Mark answered. Misty and Brock were absolutely shocked.  
  
"You're wrong about one thing," Delilah said. "Ash's rival is Gary Oak. I've never heard of this Ceris."  
  
"Then maybe you don't know as much about your son as you like to think. My turn. Why doesn't Ash like perfume? What is the name of the girl that Ash is most afraid of? How many volumes of pokemon weekly does he have hidden under his bed?" To these questions Delilah only had one answer.  
  
"He's most afraid of Misty," Delilah said simply. When Mark jumped up, Delilah knew she was in trouble.  
  
"Wrong! Ash hates perfume because it reminds him of dead flowers. Ash is most afraid of a girl named Sasha. Ash has snuck 5 issues of pokemon weekly past me and he already had 12." Mark crossed his arms. "So much for your I know him better then you get crap." Delilah and Mark were really about to get into a really big fight when Misty interrupted them.  
  
"It doesn't matter who knows him better. What matters now is where he went! We're gong to go find him with Pikachu and - where's Pikachu?" The humans had been so wound up in their own selfish fight that they didn't notice Pikachu sneaking off.   
  
"Pikapi." Pikachu sniffed the ground where he thought he found Ash's scent before. It was strange, every time he found Ash's scent, it would disappear. Finally frustrated, Pikachu decided to rely on his hearing instead of Ash's scent. Pikachu climbed up onto a high branch of a tree and actually saw Ash.  
  
*Translations on*  
  
'I can't believe I missed him!' Pikachu scampered down from the tree and made his way to Ash. 'He was behind that log the whole time.' Pikachu hopped up on the log and peered down at a slumbering Ash, Digger and Blue.  
  
"Rise and shine, sunlight," Pikachu said cheerily. Digger woke put o the unfamiliar voice of Pikachu.  
  
"Wha-who?" Digger groggily sat up and saw Pikachu. Blue woke up at the sound of Digger's growl. "What do you want?" Blue flinched; Digger was angry.  
  
"I came to see what was wrong with Ash. He just ran off today. I've never seen him do something like this before." Pikachu was about to join the two in keeping Ash warm when Digger jumped in his way.   
  
"Who was it that called Ash a braggart?" Digger demanded coldly. Pikachu stared at the pokemon, wide eyed.  
  
"Well, no one called him a braggart out right. Brock just said that he liked to show off his training skills," Pikachu replied. Digger thought that this Brock was going to get a piece of his mind if he ever got the chance to tell this Brock person off.  
  
"I never want to meet him then," Digger growled. Pikachu was taken aback by the Larvitar's statement.  
  
"What? Why not? Brock's a nice guy. A bit of a girl chaser but he's still OK," Pikachu said. Digger crossed his paws and growled again.  
  
"Look at what he did to Ash! If Ash's father were to ever hear one boast come from Ash's mouth…" Larvitar let the implications of that statement hang heavy in the air. "Ash is so afraid of being proud of his accomplishments that everything he does only humbles him more."  
  
'Is that why Ash is afraid of his father?' Pikachu wondered. Digger sensed Pikachu's puzzlement and continued.   
  
"Ash doesn't want to hurt Mark. Ash cares for him so much that Ash is afraid to do something that will shame his father. Ash is afraid of his father's disappointment, not of his father."  
  
'That's it.' Pikachu finally knew why Ash was acting strangely. Ash didn't want to hut anyone he loved, so he obeyed without defiance. 'Poor Ash.'  
  
"Oh Ash," Pikachu said softly. Pikachu leapt over Digger and landed on Ash when he heard something. "Someone's coming."  
  
"Outta here." Blue unwrapped its body from around Ash and hopped into some nearby bushes with Digger. Most of Ash's warmth had left so he subconsciously reached for something warm. Digger growled as Ash suddenly snuggled Pikachu.  
  
'That should be me there,' Digger thought jealously. Digger moved the bushes so he would be ale to see better. 'I'm not letting you out of my sight again!'  
  
*Translations off*  
  
"Do you think it was something we did?" Misty asked Brock. "First it was Ash, now it's Pikachu." Brock stopped walking for a moment.  
  
"I don't think it was us, I think it's his parents," Brock said in revelation. Misty and Togepi stopped for a moment.  
  
"I don't get it. Why would Ash be acting strange because of his parents?" Misty asked, turning towards Brock.  
  
"Think about it. If you saw two people you loved quarreling all the time, ho would that make you feel? Ash is a very sensitive person and he doesn't like to see his mother angry. What we saw was probably pent up hostility towards his parents. Misty gawked at Brock's sudden analysis of his friend.   
  
"I think you're right. Ash had been acting strangely towards his parents lately, but you're wrong about on thing," Misty said as she began to walk again. "I don't think it's just them. I think its Cherry Canyon as a whole."  
  
"Hey!" Brock ran to catch up to Misty. "What do you mean by that?" Brock asked.  
  
"Remember when we saw Ash running from that girl Sasha? Have you ever seen Ash run that fast before?" Misty asked in a sour tone. Brock stopped and thought about it for a moment.   
  
"No, I haven't. But what does that prove?" Misty sidestepped a log and continued.  
  
"It's like he had a hidden fear of her. I think that we're seeing a child version of Ash. I mean, wouldn't you want to be a pokemon master if you were brought up in a town like this?"  
  
"You're right! With the canyon, there is little or no pokemon wildlife here. Knowing Ash spent his winters in Pallet, it would be like seeing a candy you want, but can't have with Professor Oak!" Brock said excitedly.  
  
"Exactly! Now that Ash has his pokemon back, his two worlds are colliding and he doesn't know what to do," Misty said with finality. The pair walked on in silence for a while.  
  
"So what should we do?" Brock asked out of the blue. "I can't think of one thing we can do to help Ash."  
  
"We be there for him." Misty tripped on a rock and stumbled over a sleeping Ash. The Larvitar had to bite his lips not to squeal out in pain. "Speak of the devil," Misty whispered.  
  
"Toge prrii!" Brock looked over Misty to see a sleeping Ash and Pikachu.  
  
"Guess we don't have to look for Pikachu now either," Brock whispered. Misty got up from the mossy ground and let out a small squeak.  
  
"Brock! Look at where we are!" Brock scanned the tree line to see a sudden drop where a cliff face could be seen. Brock let out a small gasp.  
  
"We're on the other side of the canyon, close to the Forbidden Grove!" Brock looked around for anything that would indicate that they were actually in the Forbidden Grove.  
  
"Why would Ash come here?" Misty wondered aloud. Then there was a crash in the bushes.  
  
"Watch were you're going, clutz," growled Delilah. Mark muttered a curse under his breath and led the way around the bush where he fell in.  
  
"How was I supposed to see that hole? It was directly beneath that bush!" Mark snapped back.  
  
"Pipe down. I see the kids." Delilah hiked her skirt up and walked over to them. "Have you found-."  
  
"Shhhh!" Misty and Brock hissed at the same time. Curious, Delilah peered over the log to see her son sleeping on the mossy carpet of the forest floor. Mark walked up beside her and groaned.  
  
"Now he'll be up all night," Mark said in a hoarse whisper. Mark slowly moved to Ash's side and picked him up.  
  
"Pika?" Pikachu, who had been pretending to sleep, jumped off of Ash, onto the ground and stretched. Mark ignored the pokemon and proceeded to carry Ash home. Delilah opened the door to Ash's bedroom and let Mark through. After Ash was secure in his bed, Mark crept out as silently as possible.  
  
"Is he sleeping?" Delilah asked as Mark entered his den. Mark was startled by the intruding voice. This was Mark's den, his sanctuary. Delilah had invaded. The good mood he was working up dissipated.   
  
"What are you doing in here?" Mark bit out. "I thought I told you to stay out of my den." Delilah got up from the couch and moved towards the mantle.  
  
"We need to talk about our son." The mere mention of Ash calmed Mark somewhat. Mark sat in his favorite chair and reached for his book. Delilah held the book down so Mark couldn't pick it up. "I meant now!"  
  
'What?' Ash woke up to the sound of people arguing. Loudly. Ash listened to the voices for about three seconds before he realized it was his parents. Ash looked at the clock and it read…2:00AM! Ash didn't have time to wonder how he got home. He just whipped off his covers and quietly made his way to his father's den.  
  
"Absolutely not! I'm not allowing Ash to go back to pokemon training. No!" Mark literally howled at Delilah. Ash peered into the crack of the door. Delilah was in Mark's personal space, shouting just as loud as Mark.  
  
"Be reasonable! Ash has spent the last few years on the road, to tie him down in one place like this is cruel!"   
  
"It was cruel for you to let him go in the first place. Ash is too young to have the world on his shoulders yet. The came thing that happened too me might happen to him!" Mark's voice almost broke at the end of the sentence.  
  
"Why you! Foolish man! Ash has already handled Team Rocket!" Mark was dumbstruck.  
  
"WHAT? When? Who? Where?" Mark demanded. Delilah jumped back at Mark's sudden urgency. Delilah stopped yelling for a moment.  
  
"Jessie, James and a talking Meowth are a constant pest to him. I do believe they've tangled with a pair called Cassidy and Butch before as well. Mark let out a sigh of relief.   
  
"That still doesn't mean he's ready for the world yet," Mark said. "There are real rocket members for Ash to look out for. If Ash hadn't lost his memory, I would consider it." Delilah got angry.  
  
"Are you insinuating that I am to blame for this?" Delilah yelled at Mark, back in his personal space.  
  
"It wasn't my idea to help his amnesia!" Mark yelled back.  
  
"It was to protect him!" Delilah shouted.  
  
"It was to make it easier on you!" was Mark's retort. Suddenly the door squeaked open from the other side of the room. Misty and Brock barged in.  
  
"Quiet down! The way you two are arguing, you will wake Ash up," Brock said quietly.  
  
"What's this all about anyway? You two are fighting like a Meowth and a Growlithe!" Misty growled, borderline irate that her sleep was interrupted.  
  
"You can hear as well as I can, Misty," Brock said before Delilah could answer. "They're fighting about Ash's future." Misty just snorted at the comment.  
  
"We all know he's stubborn! Ash will do whatever he wants and he wants to be a on a pokemon journey," Misty stated.  
  
"With you I'll bet," Mark snorted. Now it was Misty's turn to get angry.  
  
'What's that supposed to mean!?!" That's when the all out name-calling, finger-shaking contest broke out. Ash took all of thirty seconds before he got angry.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Everyone in the room jumped when the hallway swung open to reveal a very angry Ash. Ash's demeanor made everyone become pale. Ash's hands were crushed into fists, his face was beet red and his normally gentle eyes were filled with fire. "I've had enough of this!" Ash barked.  
  
"Ash, honey…" Ash shot out a glare that silenced everyone in the room. Ash was about to say something else when a small voice came from the stairs.  
  
"Pikapi?" Ash froze. He slowly turned around to see Pikachu on the stairs. Pikachu was rubbing one eye with his right paw and hanging onto a post for balance. "Pika-chu pi?" Ash's anger was temporarily forgotten as he held out his arm for Pikachu.   
  
"Something the matter buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzled Ash's cheek.  
  
"Pika-chu pika." Ash glanced back at the stunned people and remembered what was going on.  
  
"Why can't you let me decide?" Ash snapped. Before anyone had any time to react, Ash had grabbed his pack and was out the door. There was a slam that shook the entire house and released the people from their spellbound state. Everyone looked at Mark.  
  
"Don't look at me! This is new to me too!"   
  
Ash began to run from his house as soon as he was out of sight. Ash was breaking on the inside and he did what he did as a child. Ash ran the whole way to the tree house. Ash crept in silently.  
  
"Huh?" Digger woke up to the sound of someone sneaking into the tree house. He and Blue had returned to the tree house earlier that evening. The Larvitar looked up to see a silhouette of Ash in the doorway. Digger nudged Blue. The Dratini woke up to see Ash walking quietly towards them. Ash crawled into the hammock as Pikachu popped out of his bag.  
  
"Pika?" Ash picked up Pikachu and set him on his chest. Ash closed his eyes and prayed he would spend the rest of the night in peace.  
  
In another time zone…  
  
Giovonni was not impressed. Butch and Cassidy had been imprisoned during a routine caper in Aqua City. When they described the sudden sneak attack, it reminded of Mark Neo and Mark was not a pleasant memory for the Rocket Leader.  
  
"So, you're saying you turned around and saw a huge flamethrower attack and that's all you remember?" Giovonni growled.   
  
"Yes sir!" Cassidy said quietly. Giovonni put a tired hand to his head.   
  
"I see. Do you know who it was?" Giovonni noticed that both agents flinched before they spoke the name.  
  
"It was Ash Ketchum, sir," they said in unison. Giovonni frowned. Ash Ketchum was the name that he had heard many times before this. Jessie, James and Meowth were assigned to capture his Pikachu and he had incarcerated the pair before him twice. Giovonni turned around in his chair and booted up his computer.   
  
"You will be given new assignments. Dismissed!" Giovonni didn't pay any attention as his black rockets left the room. The computer screen flashed and changed images many times. Then, a small panel with a bar slowly crossing the screen with the word 'downloading' appeared.  
  
'Let's just see who this Ketchum kid really is,' Giovonni clicked on the file and began to read. An hour later, after reading into Ash's career as a pokemon trainer with great detail, an extremely old photograph of Ash and his father popped up. Giovonni's eyes went wide. Giovonni whirled around in his chair.   
  
"Get me the retrievers, NOW!" Giovonni barked to his secretary. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
To answer a review, Ash doesn't remember the segment Mark is telling Brock and Misty in this segment.  
  
Back in Cherry Canyon…  
  
"I don't know," Mark said with a helpless sigh. "I haven't had a fight with Ash since he was little. You have a better guess of what he's doing than I do." Misty shot Mark a look. You know, THE LOOK.  
  
"In all the arguments I've had with Ash, he's never run off or looked that angry," Misty snapped.   
  
"I think Pikachu saved out hides," Brock said to no one in particular. "Ash's heart just melts around any pokemon. If Pikachu didn't show up just then, Ash would've chewed us up and spit us out."  
  
"I know. He looked angry enough to spit nails," Misty added. Delilah had gone to sleep fifteen minuets ago and Brock, Misty and Mark had stayed awake to discuss the situation.   
  
"He could you know," Mark said with a snicker. Brock and Misty looked at him with confusion. "If Ash ever reverts to his old self, he could," Mark insisted. Misty and Brock began to laugh.   
  
"Yeah, right," Misty giggled. "Mr. I-would-sleep-my-life-away-if-I-could Ketchum?" Mark sighed and arose from his seat.   
  
"I said if he ever reverted back into his old self. Despite the Ash you think you know, he's actually a well educated boy." Misty and Brock laughed anew. Mark scowled.  
  
"Now that is funny," Brock roared. "When he started out training pokemon, all he was skilled at was eating and sleeping." Mark finally let his pride get the best of him. Mark walked up to the laughing pair.  
  
"Come with me," Mark sneered. Mark led the still snickering pair upstairs. When they stopped in front of a wall, Misty and Brock got curious.   
  
"Why did we stop here?" Misty asked in a whisper. Mark grabbed a chain from around his neck, which contained a key. Misty and Brock were shocked when Mark reached out and removed a fake light switch to reveal a keyhole. Mark put in the key and the wall moved in and rolled out of the way. Mark turned around to the most shocked faces he had seen on Misty and Brock.  
  
"Ash has read every book in this library," Mark said proudly. "And those trophies on the shelves are his. You wouldn't have even met Ash if he didn't have amnesia. You would have seen him on T.V. instead."  
  
"Whoa! Wait a sec. Are you telling us that Ash had amnesia?" Brock croaked. Mark turned a confused pair of eyes towards the pair.   
  
"You mean you've been harping at me all this time without knowing the whole story"  
  
"It depends on whose story you're talking about," Misty shot out. Mark sighed and began his story. He told them of Ash's training and hard work over the last three months and how it closely mirrored his early childhood. When morning came, Misty and Brock had a new, healthy respect for Ash and a lot more sympathy for what he had gone through. When Delilah came down in the morning, Brock was cooking in the kitchen alone.  
  
"Ash hasn't come back yet," Brock mumbled. Delilah took note of Brock's tone, stance and his inability to make eye contact. She took a seat at the kitchen table, somehow knowing that Mark had told Misty and Brock about their friend.  
  
"Brock? I want to share something about Ash with you." Brock, unsure if he wanted to hear this, sat opposite Delilah.  
  
"OK." Brock gazed into the hurting eyes of Ash's mother and couldn't help but feel sorry for Ash once more.  
  
"Ash was a happy little boy, he always did what his momma told him. We were perfectly happy for three sweet years, then everything changed with Mark." Brock leaned closer to hear easier.  
  
"Yeah, go on," Brock urged.  
  
"Mark is Ash's father, what I didn't know was that he really wanted a boy When Mark found out about Ash, he demanded visiting rights."  
  
"You never told Mark that you had his son?" Brock asked, unbelieving. Delilah looked away, ashamed.  
  
"Yes. I did it to protect Ash. You still don't know everything about Mark so listen. When Mark found out that he could take Ash for six months of the year, he did. Mark would milk as much time with Ash as he could."  
  
'That surprises me,' Brock thought. 'Mark doesn't seem the loving father type.'  
  
"Every time Ash came home, he was a different boy. When he was five, Ash had developed his own stubborn attitude towards me. The next year, he wanted to be independent and refused to let me help him with anything. When he turned seven, he became a real wanderer. I hat to constantly keep an eye on him. That was the year that Mark got permanent custody of Ash."  
  
"He couldn't have had permanent custody!" Brock exclaimed. "Ash was with you when he started his pokemon journey." Delilah's face turned serious.  
  
"Ash was seven when it happened…  
  
***  
  
Crash! Ash was in the kitchen when he heard a commotion in the den. Ash raced to the den to find five lumbering rocket members and his father unconscious.  
  
"Father!" Ash's face was plastered with a look of horror. When the rockets noticed Ash, they all froze.   
  
"No one said anything about a kid!" growled one of the members in black.  
  
"Who cares? Catch him. We'll take care of Mark." The only two members in white collected his father as three members in black moved towards Ash.  
  
"`Cmere kid." Ash turned around and ran. There were curses and the crashing of bodies after Ash. He ran out the front door to find two more rockets in black at his doorstep.  
  
"What?" One of them noticed the boy. Ash let out a yelp as the rockets behind caught up with him. Ash dodged the hands and squirmed under the deck.  
  
"Daddy!" Ash finally caught himself. Ash had been too scared to thing clearly. When Ash finally found his wits, he realized that he was trapped for the moment, but safe.  
  
"Come on out kid, we won't hurt ya," said a male voice. The voice wasn't too convincing. A loud high pitch whistle blasted from under the deck that made the rockets cover their ears.  
  
"Come out right now kid! You're in really big trouble now," snarled the voice.  
  
"Like I didn't know that already," muttered Ash. Ash gasped when he heard something that he had only seen on T.V. or at the lab; a pokeball opened.  
  
"We warned you! Sandshrew, go! There's a kid underneath the deck, drag him out." Ash had just enough room underneath the deck to sit up. When the pokemon had dug a hole under the deck, Ash was ready.  
  
"Shrew!" The pokemon leapt straight at Ash. Ash simply round housed the pokemon mid air and sent it flying. Ash was surprised at how far the pokemon flew. There was a crash as the pokemon smashed into the side of the house.  
  
"Go away!" Ash growled. The Sandshrew, seeing figurative stars, looked at the boy it was trying to catch.  
  
"Shrew!" the rock pokemon growled, very annoyed. Ash simply got back in his defensive position.  
  
"Serves you right. Attacking a kid like that! Where's you conscience?" Ash said. The Sand shrew dusted itself off.  
  
"Sand-shrew." The Sandshrew growled back. Ash gave the pokemon a puzzled look as it advanced.  
  
"You don't have one? Nonsense. Everyone has a conscience. You know, it's the little voice that tells you right from wrong." The Sandshrew stopped advancing. "Yes, I can understand you. I have and affinity for most pokemon."  
  
"What's going on down there?" snarled the trainer. The Sandshrew cringed and shivered.  
  
"You don't have to listen to him. You can stay with my friends and me. We would love to have you." Ash pleaded with the pokemon. Sandshrew came closer and saw Ash's sincere face and puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Shrew!" Ash hugged the rock pokemon tightly and smiled.  
  
"Welcome to the group. I'm Ash, what do I call you?" The pokemon didn't have time to reply as the floorboards above were suddenly ripped from above. Rough hands grabbed Ash and pulled him up.  
  
"Gotcha!" said a rocket. That opinion was changed when Ash stomped on his foot and bit his hand. "The rocked began to yell in pain. After that, the battle raged between Ash and Sandshrew versus the five rocket members. It was going well for Ash and Sandshrew. Sandshrew turned on it's trainer as Ash was taking out three of the male members with the same shot, he was seven after all and of a perfect height… The last rocket was getting most angry.  
  
"That does it!" the last grunt rocket pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ash. One rule Mark was always talking about ran through Ash's mind; you can't outrun a bullet. "No lose ends."  
  
"Flamethrower!" A voice cut in. The rocket was caught off guard and time seemed to slow. The flamethrower hit the rocket, the gun fired and Ash was in the way.   
  
"Shrew!" the rock pokemon collapsed in front of Ash. A loud scream echoed throughout the area as Ash dropped to his knees and cradled the dead pokemon on his lap. Officer Jenny was of comfort to Ash.  
  
***  
  
"Ash came home in a traumatized state. It took me a week to get him to respond to me. After a year of therapy, Ash seemed to return to normal. He forgot all about that episode though. I kept him that way to spare him anymore pain," Delilah finally concluded.  
  
"That's terrible!" The pair at the table turned to see a teary eyed Misty. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard." Brock walked over to Misty and gave her a hug.  
  
"I know Mist, I know…" Brock let her cry on his shoulder for about three minutes before taking control of the situation. "I think it's time we gave Ash some pleasant memories."  
  
Tree house…  
  
Pikachu silently watched his trained, no his best friend, as he simply stared up at the clouds. Ash had woken an hour ago and watched the clouds through a skylight. Pikachu was getting more worried by the minute.  
  
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, breaking the silence. Ash spoke for the first time that morning.  
  
"What am I going to do Pikachu? I just told off everyone that I love in this world. I don't know what came over me. I was just so frustrated."  
  
"Pika-chu-pi-pikachu," Pikachu offered. Ash sighed. Pikachu was right; he could try apologizing. There was just one thing wrong with an apology.   
  
"Why should I apologize? I didn't do anything wrong. There were the ones arguing," he spat out. Pikachu gave him a thundershock. "Whaa!" Ash dropped to the floor, extra crispy.  
  
"Pika-chu-pika!" Ash moaned as he picked himself up and dusted himself off.   
  
"Alright! I'll go home and day I'm sorry. Just don't expect anything too sorrowful. I'm still angry with the lot of them." Ash growled the end of that sentence. Ash got his things together and left the tree house early, again not noticing a heavy bag. A little while later, Ash was on the steps of his house, looking for any signs of life.  
  
'That's odd, where is everyone?' Ash reached out and grabbed the doorknob, it was almost like signaling for a fight to start.  
  
"I'm not going!" Mark roared. "I have serious work to do!" Ash walked through the door into two arguing parents. They both stopped when Ash walked through the door.   
  
"Good! Now we can leave. Misty, bring the basket! Ash is here." Mark was shoved a bundle as Brock entered the room. Mark sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Yo! Ash, ready to have some fun?" When Ash noticed that Brock was wearing his blue swim trunks, he paled.  
  
"What's going on here?" Ash asked in a squeak. Misty walked into the room in candles and a purple two-piece bathing suit.  
  
"What does it look like? We're all going down to the beach and taking the day off. Come on, or we'll be late meeting up with your friends," Misty said cheerfully.  
  
"What?" Ash barked involuntarily. Brock tossed Ash a pair of green trunks and Ash tossed them back. "There is no way I am going swimming in this town!" Mark grabbed the trunks from Brock and handed them to Ash.   
  
"If I have to suffer, so do you. Put them on!" After a lot of complaining, Ash was changed and being led out the door by the ear.  
  
"Cut it out," Ash whined to Misty. She had the lunch basket in one hand and Ash's ear in the other.   
  
"I wouldn't have to do this if you just behaved yourself," giggled Misty, completely enjoying herself.  
  
"I'm behaving, I'm behaving! Leggo!" Ash whined again. Misty gave an exasperated look and released him.  
  
"You know, you're supposed to do that to Brock, not me," Ash grumbled.   
  
"Cheer up sweetie! You're going to see your friends!" Mrs. Ketchum chimed in. Ash thought of something.   
  
"Who did you invite?" Ash asked, slightly edgy. Brock, Misty and Delilah smiled.  
  
"We phoned the girl at the sweet shop and she invited the people," Brock said in a happy voice. "I wonder if she has and older friends?" That made Ash and Mark pale.  
  
"Something the matter?" Misty asked, seeing Ash's face. Ash lowered his hat over his face and moaned into it. Mark answered Misty with a question.  
  
"How much food did we bring? I can guarantee it won't be enough." The place they were supposed to meet was right in front of the sweet shop. When Ash saw Candy and only Candy, he was relieved.  
  
"Hi Candy!" Ash called. Candy's head snapped up when she heard Ash's voice. Candy spotted the group and smiled. Candy picked up her bag and ran towards Ash.   
  
"Little A!" Ash was nearly flattened by an over excited Candy store clerk.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped onto Mark just before Ash fell over.  
  
"Hi Candy." Everyone else greeted one another. Misty looked pretty miffed to Pikachu, but didn't do anything. Candy was sprawled on Ash's chest and Ash had spirals for eyes.  
  
"What hit me?" Ash muttered. Candy got off of Ash and greeted Mark.  
  
"Hello Mr. Ketchum, nice t see you again," Candy said, sickeningly sweet. Pikachu then realized whose shoulder he was on. Pikachu put on a nervous smile and paw behind his neck.  
  
"Pi-pi-pi-pika!" Pikachu said just as nervous. Candy then spotted the pokemon and squealed.   
  
"Oh! Whatacutepikachu,canIholdit?" Before anyone could reply, Pikachu was swooped from Mark's shoulder and being squeezed. Pikachu then suddenly whisked he was back on Mark's shoulder….almost.  
  
'Same old Candy,' Ash sighed. Ash dusted himself up from the ground. Ash felt so sorry for Pikachu as Candy squished the poor pokemon. If Ash and Mark's hunch had been right, that would have been just the beginning.  
  
"Oh A, your Pikachu is so sweet. Everyone's going to love him." Ash caught a very important part of that sentence.  
  
"Who is everyone? I don't see anyone else here," Ash said, confused. Candy smiled and held Pikachu like Misty usually held Togepi. Pikachu tried to squirm out of her arms.  
  
"Everyone already went ahead. It was such a perfect day that no one could wait to get down to the beach," Candy said, in her own sweet way. "We should get going, follow me!" Candy began to skip down the street.  
  
"Why do I have this feeling of impending doom?" Ash muttered to himself. Ash trailed behind the group as they headed towards Cherry Canyon's beach. Along the way, Brock noticed Ash's down turned hat and he frowned.  
  
'Something's up.' Brock slowed his pace and motioned for Misty to do the same. Ash's eyes stayed on the road ahead of him until he noticed two other pairs of feet matching his. Ash looked up to see Brock and Misty on either side of him.  
  
"Something wrong Ash?" Brock asked. "You haven't said one word since we let the shop." Ash blinked in surprise. He didn't realize that he was moping.  
  
"Uhh, nothing. It's just I wasn't expecting this today. That's all!" Misty gave Ash the picnic basket in the stomach.  
  
"You're a bad liar, Ketchum! Fine, if you don't want to tell us now, you can tell us later." Ash gaped openly at Misty's veiled accusation. Before Ash could react, there was a squeal ahead of them.  
  
"He's here!" Ash and company turned their attention to the person who squealed. Ash recognized the little girl as the one he had saved, err…found in the Forbidden Grove: little Mary.  
  
"Hi kiddo!" Ash said with a grin. Mary jumped up and charged at Ash. Ash gave Brock the basket just before he was crawled all over by Mary.  
  
"Hi Mary," Candy greeted. Candy was firmly attached to Ash now. "Did you know that Ash had a Pikachu? He's such a darling pokemon." Mary, who was still hugging Ash, was instantly interested in the pokemon.  
  
"Really? Can I hold him Ash? Pleeease?" Ash gave Candy a glance and saw Pikachu nodding his head wildly.  
  
"Sure! Candy, would you mind?" Candy didn't have time to respond because Pikachu was already squirming.   
  
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped down from Candy only to be picked up by Mary. Mary was a little small, so she picked Pikachu up like a teddy bear.  
  
"Come on! Everyone's waiting for us." Mary set down Pikachu and grabbed Ash's hand. Ash couldn't believe the energy Mary had. Mary was usually a sickly child.  
  
"Where are we going?" Ash asked laughingly. Ash was led up the grassy bank overlooking the beach. They could here voice. Many voices. Ash froze once he was in sight. Mary was annoyed when Ash stopped walking.   
  
'Half the town must be here,' Ash thought, completely shocked. Ash had never seen a turnout like this before. When Ash had come over the rise, there was a quickening in the crowd.  
  
"Just thought you would want people you know instead of a bunch of strangers," Candy said as she neared Ash. Still stunned, Ash didn't comment.  
  
"Wow Ash! You know all these people?" Misty asked as soon as she caught up, having heard Candy's statement. Ash came out of his daze at the sound of Misty's voice. Ash felt himself go red in embarrassment.   
  
"Sorta," Ash mumbled. Ash recognized most of the people he saw. Ash was surprised to see most of the cadets present, there were various members of the community such as the head librarian Jean Clerk, and business managers like Tina Crunch, someone he had helped as a child. Ash saw people he worked with like Jack and the high societies, but what interested him the most was his group. Ken spotted Ash and had a wicked idea.  
  
"Hey Ash!" Ken got everyone's attention by yelling his name. "Come on the party's just starting." Robert and Ken walked up the bluff to collect Ash. Brock and Misty had the same idea however and got there first.  
  
"Come on Ash." Misty grabbed Ash's free arm and Brock pushed on his shoulders.   
  
"Hey! Quit shoving!" Ash said annoyed. Ash was dragged into the throng of people; slightly angry he was being pushed around. The people watching Ash and Pikachu lost them in the crowd.  
  
"Drat!" Jessie growled, lowering the binoculars. "I can't find the twerps in that crowd." Meowth and James were putting the finishing touches on their net.  
  
"Well you had better find them," James growled. James tied another knot in the net.  
  
"Or da boss will fire us for good!" Meowth growled. The entire group shuddered at the memory. The boss had contacted them in the very early hours of the morning. After the initial shock of being called by the boss, they were interrogated about…  
  
"Ash?" Meowth echoed in disbelief.  
  
"Why do you want to know about the twerp sir?" Jessie asked. Giovonni's demeanor changed from annoyed to laughter. Giovonni gave a slight chuckle and shook his head.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough. I want you to give a full report about Ash to the retrievers. They're already on their way to Cherry Canyon. You will meet them within the half hour at this point." A map blipped on the screen.  
  
"Th-th-th-THE RETRIEVERS?" James whimpered. Jessie and Meowth looked at James, confused.  
  
"You will give them you full co-operation. Over and out!" Giovonni barked before hanging up the phone. The trio jumped and sweat dropped.  
  
"What do yous two tink dat was all about?" Meowth asked in his heavy accent. James was quieter than normal on the way to the rendezvous point.   
  
"So, do you know anything about these retrievers James?" Jessie asked off hand. James' jaw dropped.  
  
"You mean you haven't heard about the retrieves?" James squeaked.  
  
"Meowth has never heard of them either." James gawked at his two partners in shock. They reached the meeting place and James began his story.   
  
"I've heard about these guys ever since I was young. They're the most feared team rocket duos in high society. They come to steal your valuables and your children."  
  
The screen fades out to two silhouettes in a posh setting. A well-dressed man and woman are huddled together on the floor with a small child.   
  
"You've got what you came for, now leave!" The gentleman sputtered, appearing far braver than he felt. The black silhouette with blatantly spiky hair and cruel smile turned.   
  
"Not quiet, old man," said the cruel smile. The other black silhouette was unmistakably a woman and she turned towards the family.   
  
"Come with me little one," the woman said in an overly sweet voice. The mother screamed and held onto her boy harder. There was a click as a revolver was pointed towards her head.   
  
"He's insurance. You'll get him back once we're gone," the first silhouette growled. The mother let go of her son for one second in shock. The young boy was grabbed by the female silhouette and vanished into her bag. That was the last the ever saw of her son.   
  
"That's what I've heard about them," James finished, the world fading back in. Jessie and Meowth were wide-eyed and open mouthed.   
  
"Why would da boss be pairing us up wit` dem?" Meowth gasped. There was a sound that the trio had rarely heard before. They all looked up to see a real helicopter landing. A pair jumped out and an unfamiliar motto was heard.  
  
The motto will show up later.  
  
Disclaimer. Blah blah blah 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
Back at the beach…  
  
Ash had no sooner than set down his blanket than the high society girls assaulted him.  
  
"Why don't you some over here Ash? We have a place just for you." Misty heard the offer and watched Ash blush furiously. Misty was about to charge into the crowd of giggling girls when Ash suddenly set the blanket down and dumped his backpack there.  
  
"This spot is just as good as any," Ash mumbled as an excuse. Misty realized that Ash had just turned down some very good-looking females and silently cheered. Brock however was absolutely flabbergasted.  
  
"Are you out of you mind?" Brock yelped. Ash sweat dropped and sighed as he saw hearts.   
  
"Are you out of yours? They have boyfriends Brock," Ash growled. The hearts left Brock's eyes and he turned a nice blue.  
  
"Oh!" Brock sat down with a thump beside Ash and began to mope. Misty set the basket beside Ash and Togepi popped out.  
  
"Togepi!" All eyes turned towards Ash as Togepi began to fuss.   
  
"Ash would you calm down Togepi while I set out the blanket?" Ash sighed and picked up the squalling baby pokemon.   
  
"Pikachu, I could use some help here." Ash looked around for his poke-pal and saw him with Delilah. Ash sighed again and began to coo and rock Togepi. In a few minutes, Togepi was gurgling and laughing at Ash.   
  
"Careful! Your face might stay like that. On second thought, go ahead and make all the faces you want. It might be an improvement!" Ken joked, interrupting Ash and Togepi's fun. Ash scowled.  
  
"Jealous," Ash teased. Ken laughed and smacked Ash's back. Ash yelled.   
  
"What's the matter?" Ken put a hand on his hip and shook his head. "Ash, when are you going to learn to wear sunscreen? I bet you even forgot to bring a bottle! HEY! Who had sun tanning lotion Ash can have?" Ash tried to shush his friend, but it was to late.  
  
"I've got some!"   
  
"Me too!"  
  
"Right here!" Ash was horrified to see a lot of girls headed his way, some not even carrying sun block.  
  
'I'll get you for this Ken!' Ash thought as he was almost trampled. Brock's eyes got huge as he watched the stampede. Then, Pikachu laughed, as Ash was soaked in oily, smelly, COLD suntan lotion.  
  
"What on-What is Ash doing?" Delilah remarked as she watched Ash's squealing groupies. Mark looked up from his book and chuckled.  
  
"Being hounded by his fan club, that's what." Delilah gave Mark a confused look. Mark just smiled and went back to his book. "Don't ask me," Mark snickered. Misty, who had just turned her back for a second, erupted at the sight of Ash and about thirty girls.  
  
"Alright, what's going on here!?!" Misty growled in her ultra annoyed voice. Ash jumped three feet in the air when he heard Misty's voice. Misty crow bared her way through the crowd to see Ash slathered in sun gook. Ash wished that he could be anywhere but there tight then. Ken came to Ash's somewhat rescue.  
  
"Simmer down. I recall Ash telling me that you're a water pokemon trainer. Care to show us your pokemon?" Misty forgot all about her troubles with Ash once someone mentioned pokemon.   
  
"Huh? Oh, meet Psyduck, Poliwhirl, Staru and Goldeen." Misty threw up her pokeballs and all her pokemon came out. All attention was adverted from Ash to the new pokemon.   
  
"Wow! You have quite the healthy pokemon." Misty smirked, letting all the attention go to her head.  
  
"Yeah, I know. I'm a water pokemon gym leader." There was a silence from the ones listening. Ash, grateful for the distraction, smoothed out the suntan lotion and grabbed his bag looking for something to wipe himself with. What he found was not a rag.   
  
"What are you two doing here!?!" Ash asked in a hoarse whisper. Ash had opened his bag to find two pokemon staring back at him. Ash collected his bad and sneaked off to the bushes. Just then, Ash heard a squeal from the crowd that sounded like Misty.  
  
"Look!" Ash peered out at the water and saw his pokemon friend Magic.  
  
'No! No! No! I did NOT need this today,' Ash thought as he peered from the bushes. Ash could see what was about to happen. Ash didn't hesitate and ran further into the forest and let out a high pitch whistle.   
  
"Wooow! Whose pokemon is that?" Misty asked starry eyed. Ken walked up beside Misty and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"That, my friend, is Red. He's the only wild red Gyarados in Cherry Canyon. No one has ever dared to catch him because he supposedly belongs to the phantom," Ken ended in a spooky voice.   
  
"So, he's wild is he? Well, not for long!" Misty took off he shirt and shorts to reveal her two-piece suit. Misty perched atop a rock and dove in with a pokeball in hand. "Come on! Let's go catch that Gyarados!" she said to her pokemon.   
  
"She's nuts!" Ken exclaimed. Brock walked up behind Ken and sighed.  
  
"No, that's just our Misty. Tell me, who is this phantom you were talking about?" Brock asked, curious. Ken let a small smile creep over his face. Ash was coming in by air. Magic was excited to see Ash and splashed around.  
  
"Magic! You have to get out of here and quick," Ash said quickly. "My friend Misty is heading out this way to capture you!" Magic nodded and dove deep underwater. Ash gave a sigh of relief.  
  
"Roargh?" Arrow asked from under Ash. Ash gave the Areodactyl a pat on the back.  
  
"Yes, we can head back to shore. Just drop me off and I'll try and meet back at the tree house later.  
  
Misty watched in the distance as the red Gyarados suddenly dove underwater.   
  
"Aw nuts!" Misty cursed. Misty had been almost in a pokeball's throw away from capturing Red. Misty sighed and began the short swim back to shore with her pokemon, minus the non-swimming Psyduck and too-young Togepi. Back at the beach, Pikachu was getting a snippet of information about Ash that he never knew.  
  
"The phantom also has a wicked sense of humor. A lot of people say he's responsible for a few unexplainable pranks we've had in town," Ken finished. Brock took this information seriously like he always did.  
  
"Why hasn't anyone tried to stop this phantom?" Brock asked in a serious tone. "Someone could get hurt one of these days." Ken sweat dropped.  
  
"Uhhh! No one's ever gotten hurt Brock. Besides, the phantom's not real and he supposedly resides in the Forbidden Grove."  
  
"Sounds like something Ash would check out," Misty said walking to the blanket. Water dripped down her hair as she searched for a towel.   
  
"HA! Ash would never enter that forest unless he had to. Ash is too much of a chicken to do anything that brave," sneered a voice. Misty and Brock got a dangerous look in their eyes.  
  
"Who said that?" Brock demanded. The crowd parted a bit to let Justin, Trevor and Mike through. Brock wasn't by any means a tall boy, but he towered over the three.  
  
"What's your problem squinty?" Trevor jeered. Misty was quick to answer.  
  
"Who are you to call Ash a coward!?!" Misty demanded. The trio backed off at the sight of Misty.  
  
"He is!" Justin sneered. "He turns tail and runs whenever he sees me coming down the street."  
  
"He's such a wimp!" Mike added. "The only guts he has are inside his body."  
  
"Ash has shown more courage in the past two years than a skydiver in his entire life," barked Brock. "Ash stands up to Team Rocket, argues with Misty and still takes on the toughest jobs he can handle. If that 's not courageous, then I don't' know what is!"  
  
THUMP! Brock was face first in the sand after his little speech.   
  
"Are you insinuating I'm scary!?!" Misty growled. Brock rolled over onto his back with a moan. A huge bump was forming on his head.  
  
"See?" Brock moaned. Mike crossed his arms and sneered.  
  
"Where is he now then?" Mike asked. The group looked around to see Ash walking towards them on the beach. There was a sudden squeal in the crowd as Sasha leapt forward. Ash dropped his bag and ran for the water.  
  
"See. He's scared of Sasha. If that isn't a chicken, I don't know what is!" stated Justin.  
  
"That kind of cowardice I don't mind," Misty muttered. "Ash wait up! I'll go swimming with you." The next few hours were spent playing games, swimming and eating. Ash did as little as possible until Ken dragged him into a volleyball game. It the bushes nearby…   
  
"Target sighted!" Jessie said solemnly. James and Meowth nodded. They loaded the net in the canon and waited. A crackle came over a two-way radio and a harsh voice growled.   
  
"Fire!"  
  
Ash had just finished playing a nice game of volleyball and plopped down on his towel.  
  
"Pikapi?" Ash looked sown to see Pikachu really nervous. Pikachu tugged at Ash's backpack and Ash sighed.  
  
"I know! Leave them there until we go home. They can come out then." Ash grabbed his bag when he heard it. It was a whump in the distance and a whistle. Mark heard it and his reaction was immediate.  
  
"Ash! Look out!" Ash was already moving. Ash had rolled out from under the net's reach. Ash watched as the net harmlessly wrapped itself around his towel. There was a splash to Ash's left and he instinctively leapt away from it. Ash turned to face the largest Octillary he had ever seen.  
  
"Prepare for chaos like you've never seen!" came a female voice from around the pokemon.  
  
"Make it double and prepare to scream!" a male voice chimed in. Ash grabbed his bag and took out his pokeballs.  
  
"To cause so much more than devastation!" a looming female figure could now be seen atop the pokemon. Beside her a taller, manly silhouette could be seen.  
  
"To ensure out rule in future nations!" growled the man.  
  
"To crush such petty things as truth and love!"   
  
"For we extend our power to the heavens above!"  
  
"Kess!" A woman in green with a large white R on her chest could now be plainly seen. She had dark brown eyes and stark white hair.   
  
'Dead eyes,' Ash thought bitterly. Ash couldn't place it, but he had seen eyes like that before. The other shadow stepped forward.  
  
"Bubba!" The man indeed looked like a Bubba. He had spiky black hair and a very athletic build. Ash noticed that Bubba had the same eyes as Kess and that his uniform was the same, cut to fit his frame.  
  
"Team Rocket extinguishing the light!"  
  
"To surround your world in eternal night!" The pair jumped down from the pokemon to the sandy beach.  
  
"We are the retrievers!" they said in unison. Ash had a pokeball in hand, ready to battle. Then, suddenly Mark was in Ash's way.  
  
"It's been a long time Neo," sneered Bubba. Ash felt his stomach turn to ice.  
  
"What do you want Carl?" Mark asked, his voice cruel. Bubba winced at his real name. Kess stepped into the conversation.  
  
"We're here on special assignment from the boss himself," Kess gloated. Mark tensed.   
  
"Who?" Mark growled. Kess and Bubba sneered at Ash's sudden fear in realization of who they were. They were two of the Rockets that collected his dad when he was seven.  
  
"You get two guesses and the first one doesn't count," Bubba snickered. The two Rockets released one pokemon each, a Gloom and an Ekans.  
  
"If it's a fight you want…" Ash recognized the stance Mark had suddenly crouched down into, "…then it's a fight you'll get!" Kess let out a cruel laugh.  
  
"Fool! It's not you we want!" Ash realized what she meant by that and paled. Ash backed off a few feet in terror.  
  
"What?" Mark asked dumbly. Ash turned around to see Jessie, James and Meowth on their newest mechanical contraption.  
  
"Fire!" ordered Bubba. Jessie, James and Meowth fired the tranquilizer darts at Ash. Mark turned to the sound of the fired shots and saw Ash gone.   
  
"Ash!" Mark yelled in fear. Mark didn't notice the astonished look on all the Rocket's faces and feared the worst. Then, there was a thump behind Mark and the turned to see Ash in front of him.   
  
"Dad, I think it would be wise to find a more suitable place to fight," Ash growled. The beach was mostly deserted now except for the Little Society and Ash's journey friends. Mark nodded as he understood; sand inhibited a person's ability to fight.   
  
"I see you've taught him a few tricks, neo," Bubba growled. "No matter, it won't help him. Gloom! Wrap this present for the boss." Ash released a pokemon before the gloom could move.  
  
"I chose you! Cyndaquil! Block that wrap with a flamethrower!" Ash yelled in his typical battle manner.   
  
"Ekans! Stop that Cyndaquil!" ordered Kess. Ash had already anticipated the move and motioned to Pikachu to join in.   
  
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt, now!" Cyndaquil fired off the flamethrower just before it's vines made it to Ash. Pikachu's thunderbolt hit home and Ekans was knocked out. Gloom had to be recalled as well because of the flamethrower.  
  
"Wow. The twerp's doing very well," Jessie said in amazement. Kess noticed the staring Rockets behind Ash and went berserk.  
  
"What are you doing!? ATTACK!" The trio jumped and reluctantly obeyed their superiors. Ash realized that he was about to have a real frenzy on his hands when Misty and Brock joined in.  
  
"Don't worry Ash! We'll take care of these clowns," Misty stated. Brock, Misty, Jessie and James began a battle right behind Ash and Mark. Ash had his hands full with battling the two trainers at the same time. Then, there was a familiar Rocket blasting off again and Ash smiled.  
  
"I can use some help here if you're through with the pests," Ash yelled. Mark, who wasn't helping, couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ash was holding off two of the toughest trainers in Team Rocket! Alone!  
  
"Alright! Plan B!" Kess suddenly shouted. Mark paled as Kess recalled her pokemon and brought out a sub-sonic ray gun.  
  
"Ash! Run!" Mark yelled. Ash saw the gun too late and simply stood there while he recalled his pokemon. Ash watched the gun's barrel being pointed at him when it fired.   
  
Disclaimer:If ya don't know....hehehe, Naaaaaa. 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
***  
  
A six year old Ash was simply sitting on a log in the middle of the Grove. Suddenly, a bright beam of light enveloped the stump Ash was on.  
  
"Dra?" It was a simple practice session with Ash. Blue, Arrow and Digger would search and attack Ash for fun. Magic was left at home base to guard the flag that Ash had to capture.   
  
"Up here!" Ash was hanging off a branch above Blue. Blue fired off another ice beam and Ash dodged it well. Ash's pokemon would never admit it but Ash was beginning to rival them in their non-elemental abilities.  
  
"Dra! Dra! Dra!" A young Ash dodged the repeating fire of ice beams. Ash was a blur of movement. Ash's movement was twice that of a pokemon's agility because he had upper body strength to contend with, even though it seemed impossible for a boy. Ash could move as fast as any pokemon. As long as he remembered how to.   
  
***  
  
The movement was too fast to follow. The beam seemed to swallow Ash up. Mark had used the same sub-sonic ray gun to catch too powerful pokemon for Giovonni's private collection and now it seemed that it could be used on humans too.  
  
"Ash!" everyone yelled in horror. They hadn't seen Ash dodge the beam and land directly behind the two remaining Rocket members.  
  
"I'll take that!" Ash grabbed the gun from Kess and threw it into the water. Kess gasped to find Ash directly behind them and Bubba growled.   
  
"Wrong move kid!" Ash didn't have time to duck as a fist hit him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Disoriented by the next blow to the head. Ash decided it was time to run.   
  
"Dumb kid!" Kess growled, finally realizing she had lost her weapon. Ash suddenly bolted from the pair and ran blindly into the brush to his right.  
  
Mark charged after Ash knowing that this wasn't the end of Kess and Carl's chase. Ash found his wits after five minutes of running by a certain pokemon.   
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu began to lag behind. Ash dropped his stride and picked up the pokemon. Ash suddenly charged through into the open space of the town park. Ash slowed to a stop.  
  
'I'm going to be out in the open! Do I risk it?' Ash's bag suddenly opened to reveal Blue and Digger.  
  
"Dra-tini, dra!" Blue said happily.  
  
"Lar! Lar-vi-tar," Digger added. Ash then remembered that he had secret weapons. Ash grinned a goofy smile and shifted his bag up higher on his back.  
  
"I know I'm going to regret this! Here we go!" Ash went back into his sprint stride and headed for the one place he knew he would be safe, the police station. Up in the air, Kess and Bubba were having a hard time trying to follow Ash.   
  
"Where is that little mump! I'll have his hide!" Bubba growled. Kess, noting the anger in Bubba's voice, decided to calm him down.  
  
"Now, now Bubba. No kid is worth getting this worked up over. Giovonni said this might be a tough assignment. Remember whose son we're going after." Bubba settled down with a shiver.   
  
"Right, we'll get him!" Bubba cheered. There were stories about Neo in Team Rocket, scary storied. Mark Neo was a legend, said to be the most skilled officer that Team Rocket ever had and they were after his son.  
  
"I see him!" Kess said suddenly. Ash saw running past the training center when he saw the hovercraft.  
  
"I'mintrouble!" Ash wouldn't be safe anywhere if they could simply hover out of range. 'I'm going to need a new plan.' Ash changed direction and began to lead Kess and Bubba on a merry wild goose chase.   
  
"Where is that kid going?" Bubba spat out in frustration. Ash had led them around town three times. Officer Jenny had seen it out the window and was as frustrated as Bubba.  
  
"I don't care if they're on leave! Get them out here now!" Officer Jenny yelled into her radio. The Officer was calling in the surrounding backup to help with an enormous problem. All of a sudden, the hovercraft turned back on itself.  
  
'What?' Jenny asked herself. Ash had almost thought of a plan when he met Officer Jenny on his bike.  
  
"Ash! What on earth is going on?" Officer Jenny gasped. Ash had just come over a fence and out an alley, startling here. Ash screeched to a halt and moaned.  
  
"Don't ask." Ash then heard a familiar whump in the distance and jumped out of the way. Ash dif under the awning of the hardware store and began to explain. "You're not going to believe this, but it's Team Rocket.  
  
"Say no more. I've got backup coming. They'll be here…"  
  
KABOOM! The ground suddenly exploded in front of Ash and he was stunned.   
  
"Too late to help," Ash moaned. Ash noticed that he wasn't the only one stunned. Ash saw Officer Jenny sprawled on the ground.   
  
'That does it! No more Mr. Nice Guy.' Ash formulated the last of his plan in three nano seconds and grinned.   
  
"Listen up guys. I have a plan!" Ash explained what he was planning to do and giggled. This was going to be the performance of a lifetime.  
  
"Did we get him?" Bubba asked, hopeful. Kess lifted an eyebrow at Bubba's tone.   
  
"I don't know. I'll check." Kess looked into the binoculars and saw someone staggering away form the scene like a drunk.  
  
'I sure hope they buy this,' Ash thought to himself Ash made it look like he was absolutely stunned and disoriented.  
  
"We sure did. What do you say we land and collect our prize?" Kess said in a good mood. Bubba smiled his cruel smile, one reserved for someone who annoyed him and was in trouble.  
  
"I get dibs on restraining him," Bubba said in a childish tome. Kess rolled her eyes and prepared to land. Ash glanced to his high tight and saw the craft come in for a landing, directly behind him. Ash stifled a grin and he continued on his seemingly dizzy walk.   
  
'Here they come.' Ash had made it to the place where he wanted to be. Ash hoped that all of his water war tricks were up and functional. 'This should work. They were made for the older teenagers if they decided to help out Justin and the rest of that lot.' Ash suddenly went into a small sprint that forced Bubba and Kess to follow on foot.  
  
"Where'd he go?" bubba growled. The Rocket pair had entered the Cherry Canyon Park. There was a path leading down some stairs into an open area with a fountain. The fountain was shutoff and had benches and the typical brick circle spanning out.   
  
"I think he went this way," Kess pointed across the fountain way. Bubba and Kess slowly walked up the other fountain. Bubba stood up on the concrete side of the fountain and looked around. Kess noticed something odd about the fountain. "How long do you think this fountain's been off?"   
  
"Dunno. Why?" Bubba asked, miffed after looking unsuccessfully for Ash. Bubba jumped in the fountain to see what Kess's point was. Kess touched the cold cement and a drop of water came up with it.   
  
"It's still wet. That little ruffian must have turned it off." Kess put a finger under her chin. "But the question is why."  
  
"To have enough pressure for this, dirtbags!" Ash suddenly popped out from the very top of the fountain holding a slightly modified version of an old fire hose. Ash had turned up the pressure to maximum and let it go.  
  
"What?" Kess and Bubba didn't have time to move as Ash attacked. Ash took out Bubba first by aiming the water stream at his legs. Bubba fell over backwards into the fountain, hitting his head hard. Kess, in total surprise, turned to face Ash as he turned the nozzle of the hose on her. Ash blasted Kess at maximum power, knocking the woman fifteen feet behind her and she hit the ground, rolling a few times. Ash turned off the water and looked at his handiwork.  
  
"There! See how you like a sneak attack!" Ash jumped down from the fountain and handcuffed the pair to a bench. Ash then gathered up the old fire hose and wrapped it into a neat coil.  
  
'Officer Jenny will come to look for me. Just wait until I show her the present in the park.' If anyone was watching Ash, they would have thought it was strange for someone to dig through a built in cement trashcan.   
  
"Lar? Lar-vi-tar?" Ash laughed at the question. Ash handed the pokemon the hose through the hole in the trashcan and jumped in.   
  
"It went fine. Scratch two rockets on my case. So, Pikachu, how do you like the catacombs? They are like a maze, and all paths run to the center of town. We dug them when I was young."  
  
"Pikaaaa," Pikachu said in awe. Ash had taken some crystals from Crystal Lights Cavern and set them up in sequence to light up the caverns. Ash had adapted the idea from an ancient civilization called the Egyptians. Ash put the cover back on the lid and shifted his bag higher on his shoulder again. Ash, Digger, Blue and Pikachu set off to find Officer Jenny. Not too far today…  
  
"Ash!" Mark called out. Delilah had never seen Mark like this. Mark was searching like a madman for Ash ever since he left the beach. Mark had a look on his face that could only be described as pure panic. Delilah grabbed his arm.  
  
"Mark! Mark, calm down! I'm the one supposed to be hysterical here." Mark stopped for only one second to make Delilah let go.  
  
"You don't understand! I know who those people are! I know what they want and it's not pokemon!" Delilah looked at him, confused.  
  
"Then what do they want from Ash? Why aren't they after you?" Mark's face distorted in pain as he remembered his young life and he spoke his next words slowly.  
  
"They-want-to-train-Ash. They-want-HIM!" Delilah found a new fear deep inside her heart and her legs buckled underneath her.  
  
"No!" Misty and Brock were having a similar conversation very close to Ash. Too close…  
  
'What? Who is that?' Ash jumped behind a tree as he heard someone thrashing through the bushes. Ash held a hand over Pikachu's mouth and shushed the pokemon in this bad. Then Ash heard the voices talking.  
  
"If anything happens to that boy… Ash! Tell us where you are! We can help! Ash!" He relaxed; it was just Misty and Brock.  
  
"Ash!" Brock echoed. Misty and Brock walked right by Ash. Misty suddenly asked Brock a question that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.  
  
"Brock, you don't seem too worried about Ash. Why are you so calm in all of this?"  
  
"I think Ash can handle himself right now, but I don't think he can handle those Rockets. They were different from the usual Rockets we battle. I'm not worried because Ash is smart and he'll wait for us to back him up."  
  
"Oh, Ash! It's us! Come out!" Misty yelled. Ash waited until they had gone a little further away from him before responding.  
  
"Brock, Misty!" Ash suddenly called out. Ash walked from behind a tree and saw them on the other side of the clearing. Misty and Brock turned to see Ash walking towards them and a shadow looming up behind him.  
  
"Ash!" The pair cried in unison. Ash saw the looks on their faces and turned around.  
  
Author's notes: Wow! two evil cliffhangers in a row! I'm on a roll!  
  
Disclaimer: (Shadow looms up from behind author) Eh heh, I don't own pokemon. 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
  
"Dad?" Ash asked, completely bewildered. Mark's sudden fierce embrace of his son, not only wept a stunned boy off of his feet, but also took away his breath too. Ash was crushed to Mark so hard that his ribs hurt.  
  
'What?' Ash felt his father shaking and wondered what was wrong. Ash realized that his father was crying.   
  
"Ash!" Delilah came out of nowhere and threw herself as Ash, nearly bowling the two males over. If Ash didn't have enough trouble breathing before, he certainly did now. Misty and Brock were clueless as to what was happening. Ash was smothered between his two parents, struggling to get out.  
  
"Help!" Ash finally yelled. Their son's yelp made both parents come out of their protective mode. When Mark and Delilah realized that they were hugging, they both stopped for a moment. The pair looked into the other's teary eyes and felt long buried emotions begin to surface.  
  
'Huh?' Ash felt both parents tense. Ash looked up to see his parents staring deeply into each other's eyes. Ash looked at his mom, then his dad, back to his mom and finally at his dad again, trying to figure out a secret. There was a sudden squirming in Ash's backpack   
  
"Pika!" Ash heard a muffled warning growl from Pikachu and paled.   
  
"Pikachu! Don't!" Ash pleaded. Ash's request fell on deaf ears. Both parents look down at Ash, not comprehending the situation  
  
"Pika-CHUU!" A massive Thunderbolt attack emitted from Ash's bag, zapping the other two pokemon in his pack, Ash and both his parents. There was a cough from Mark and a groan from Delilah. Misty and Brock sweat dropped, Togepi gurgled.  
  
"Ash, you're going to have to do something about that Pikachu of yours," Mark moaned. Pikachu's head popped out of the bag' there was a barley audible crunch and Pikachu jumped three feet above the smoking trio.   
  
"PI-KA!" Pikachu landed on the grass and began to blow on his tail. Misty looked down at Pikachu and saw a red area.  
  
"What happened to your tail Pikachu?" Misty asked. Ash sweat dropped. Ash was saved by a very unlikely savior.  
  
"Where is that Ketchum kid?!?" yelled an all too familiar voice. Ash recognized Ceris' voice and moaned; Ceris was looking for a fight. To Ash's left the Cherry Canyon Cadets filed out of the bushes. Ceris was leading them. "Ah ha! There you are!" Ceris cried when he spotted Ash.  
  
"What do you want now Ceris?" Ash asked. Ceris looked at Ash smugly and whipped out his cuffs.  
  
"Cadet Rule #17: No Cadet shall engage in battle with other pokemon he/she had raised while on duty. I am placing you under arrest Ketchum!" Ash didn't even blink and eye. "You messed up this time Ashura."  
  
"Cadet Rule #7: Cadets have the right to defend themselves as the deem necessary if confronted with a dangerous situation." Ash spat back. "Don't try regulations on me!" Ceris became red in the face.  
  
"Cadet Rule#4: Cadets will not battle if it places the public at risk," Ceris barked.  
  
"Cadet Rule #2: A Cadet's duty is to protect the public as they see fit if an Officer of the Law is not present. I did nothing wrong Ceris and you know it!" Ceris took a threatening step forward and Pikachu growled.  
  
"Pii…" Ash heard the growl and so did Ceris. Ceris stopped advancing and looked at the pokemon, assuming a fighting stance.  
  
"If that rat attacks me, I'll book it in the nearest pokemon pound for assaulting an Officer," Ceris growled.  
  
"You're not an Officer yet!" Ash snapped. Ceris looked back at Ash now. "If you continue this grudge against me, you might never become on either. Officer Jenny wants you to uphold the law, not use your position for personal gain." If Ceris was furious before, he was livid now.  
  
"How dare you! You accuse me of using my position for personal gain! You are the one abusing power around here!" Ceris snipped back. Ash was now out of his parent's grip, arguing with a boy Brock and Misty had never seen before.  
  
"How?" Ash demanded. "Tell me how am I abusing my position? I'm just a Cadet and a working boy. When do I have time to abuse anything?"   
  
"Wrong!" Ceris yelled, making everyone save Ash jump. "You're not 'just a Cadet'; you're the Cadet freek`n Champion! You're not 'just a working boy'! Men, do you here me? Grown MEN have worked for Bruce and never even came close to being his second!"  
  
"So?" Ash simply asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" Ceris blew.  
  
"So? So! It has to do with everything! You waltz into town three months ago and you change everything! Everything is now 'Ash' this or 'Ash' that. You know what? I'M SICK OF IT!" Ceris gave Ash another threatening step.  
  
"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu warned, again making Ceris stop.  
  
"That's another thing! You think you're so hot because you have you own little world outside this place. You flaunt your friends like they were trophies. That stupid pokemon of yours is always outside its pokeball! You have all the girls inside Cherry Canyon drooling and you don't care! You're always the hero and I can't hate you because- because you don't gloat or- or show off or-." Ash's eyes went wide.  
  
"What did you say?" Ash asked, interrupting Ceris. Ceris froze on the spot. Ash finally noticed the crowd from the beach was surrounding them in a circle, listening to the fight. Ceris finally realized what he had said and turned away.   
  
"Damn you Ketchum!" Ceris ran between the crowd of shocked faces and disappeared into the brush. Ash stared at where he left for a moment and swallowed.  
  
"Nick?" Ash asked with a dry voice. Nick was among the group, watching.   
  
"Yes, Little A?" Nick asked timidly.  
  
"I think it would be wise for you to go after Ceris. Make sure he doesn't get himself hurt or into trouble." Nick nodded and scampered off after Ceris. Misty then walked up to Ash and put a hand on his shoulder, turning him around.  
  
"Ash, where is Team Rocket?" Misty asked seriously. Ash sweat dropped and sighed, this wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
"Um…well…" Ash started to say. Misty watched Ash put a nervous hand behind his neck and she inwardly groaned.  
  
"What did you do this time, Ketchum?" Misty asked. Ash was about to say something when his father suddenly loomed over him with thunder crackling behind his head.  
  
"Yes son, would you mind explaining where Team Rocket is, right now!" Ash formed a gigantic sweat drop on his head and backed off.  
  
"I'm…wh…er…you see…" Ash trailed off. Mark crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. Pikachu decided to help Ash out.  
  
"Pika! Pika-chu-pi!" Pikachu got everyone's attention by yelling. "Pikapi-pikachu-pi, pi-pikachu-pi." Pikachu pointed at Ash and himself.  
  
"Ash, do you know what Pikachu is saying?" asked Brock. Misty intervened.  
  
"I think Pikachu's trying to tell us what happened," Misty said.  
  
"Looks more like a game of charades to me," Delilah giggled. Pikachu was running around in a circle when he pretended to bump into something.  
  
"Pikapi." Pikachu pointed at Ash. "Pika-chu-pi. Pika-pi-chu." Pikachu made Brock's lovely-dovey, girl-swooning face. Pikachu then took out a whistle from out of nowhere and blew it.  
  
Tweet! Pikachu then put up his dukes and shadow boxed. Making an uppercut blow, Pikachu fell over as if in a faint and then ran to one of the Cadets.  
  
"Hey!" Frank growled as Pikachu stole his handcuffs. Pikachu then proceeded to pretend to cuff himself to a bench.  
  
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu bowed with his paw still in the cuffs. By now Ash was beet red because of the way his pokemon was acting along with Misty's running commentary.  
  
"Wow Ash! I didn't know Pikachu could imitate Brock so well," Misty said while watching the electric pokemon. Ash fell over.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Brock demanded, producing a pair of sly eyes for Misty. She responded with her back turned.  
  
"It means that Pikachu did a pretty good imitation of your behavior around any girl."  
  
"That's not true Misty," Brock said in his defense. Misty turned around and crossed her arms.  
  
"Oh really?" Misty demanded. Brock had hearts in his eyes when Ash decided to join the conversation.  
  
"He's right, Misty. Brock does that only around pretty girls," Ash stated. Ash then leaned over to the closest Little Society member, which happened to be Gizmo.  
  
"That's why he never does it around Misty," Ash whispered in Gizmo's ear. Gizmo's head blew up two sized larger than normal, trying not to laugh; it didn't work.  
  
"What was that?" Misty yelled after Gizmo had snickered. Both boys ran for it.  
  
"Waaa!" both of them yelled, running into the bushes with Misty hot on their tail.  
  
"Get back here! I KNOW where you SLEEP, Ketchum!" Brock sighed and started after them.  
  
"When are those two going to grow up?" Brock wondered aloud. Brock then noticed he was being followed by… Ken? Yes, that was the boy named Ken and a boy he recalled Ash greeting as Robert. Brock then noticed that they weren't alone either. Candy and a girl he though he heard Ash calling Sheri also followed.  
  
"Wow! That Misty sure has a temper!" Robert panted, running beside Brock.  
  
"You got that right!" giggled Candy. "Gizmo's usually not one to run from the ladies." No one in the group noticed that Sheri almost tripped at Candy's comment. Sheri caught herself just in time and a nice red blush rose from her neck that spread to cover her entire face.  
  
Later   
  
Pant, pant, wheeze. Gizmo and Ash had collapsed on the sandy beach, too exhausted to go any further. Misty had been lost about half way through the run and both boys were struggling to stay awake.   
  
"I didn't know I could run that fast," Gizmo finally wheezed out. Ash lazily rolled over in the sand, gasping for air.  
  
"I didn't know I had any energy left to run that fast," Ash gasped shortly after that. The sun was covered by a cloud the next minute and Ash shivered. Ash was still in this beach clothing: his backpack, sandals and swimming trunks.  
  
"Do you tease he like that often?" Gizmo asked. Ash didn't answer at first but slowly sat up.  
  
"Ummmm…kinda," Ash said in a small voice. Gizmo smiled at Ash's answer.  
  
"Well, well, I never thought I would live to see the day that Ash Ketchum would willingly incur a girl's wrath upon himself." Gizmo sat up beside Ash in the sand and poked him.  
  
"Misty walked right into that one! I couldn't help myself!" Ash snickered. The sun went behind another cloud, causing Ash to shiver again.  
  
"Thinking of the reception she's going to give you once you go home?" Gizmo teased. "Honestly, Ash! That girl cannot take a joke!" Ash snickered.  
  
"It's a Misty thing." Gizmo looked at Ash, confused.  
  
"Is that like 'don't ask, it is a girl thing'?" Gizmo asked, watching Ash get up.  
  
"Nope. It's just a Misty thing. Come on, it'll be dark soon and I need to put on some appropriated clothing, like pants." Unknown to Ash and Gizmo, Misty had just found them and heard the rest of their conversation quiet clearly.  
  
"Your fan club will be disappointed," Gizmo said, scampering after Ash. Ash had a little blush in his cheeks when he replied.  
  
"Ergh! Be glad that you don't have one! I swear, they're more persistent than my mom when she wants something to be done."  
  
"Persistent? How so?" Gizmo inquired. Ash saw Gizmo's sly eyes and sweat dropped.  
  
"They are all acting like Sasha t Sheri's birthday party. If I see one more pair of Bambi eyes, I'm going to be sick!" Ash complained. Gizmo shook his head and sighed.  
  
"That's it! I'm officially kicking you out of the male race! How dare you mock the eyes of the most beautiful women in town? You should be shot!" Ash made a face at Gizmo.  
  
"Nyaaa! You're just jealous. I can have any girlfriend I want. I just have to ask." Misty, who had listened to all, gave a jealous growl and turned red. Gizmo lifted an eyebrow at Ash.  
  
"How about that friend of yours? Misty?" With that thought in the open, Ash stopped and went beet red.  
  
"Ok…so maybe not every girl," Ash mumbled. Gizmo began to poke Ash in the ribs. He was enjoying Ash's discomfort.  
  
"I can't hear you!" Gizmo snickered. Ash threw his hands up in defeat.  
  
"You mad your point. Let's just drop the subject shall we? Or do we want to discuss your love life?" Now it was Gizmo's turn to blush.  
  
"H-how d-do you knowaboutthat?" Gizmo stuttered. Ash gave Gizmo a wink.  
  
"You look at her the way Brock looks at an Officer Jenny. I can't believe no one else has noticed yet." Ash smacked one on Gizmo's back. "How long has it been going on?"  
  
"Not long," Gizmo muttered.  
  
"Pikapi!" Misty looked ahead to see Pikachu and the others headed their way. Misty smiled and then walked out into the open, making the entire search party freeze in fear.  
  
"There you are Ketchum," and the chase continued.  
  
Later, around a beach bonfire.  
  
"He did what?" exclaimed Brock and Misty in surprise. Ash wished the ground would swallow him whole right then and there. Sheri had just relayed the most embarrassing moment of Ash's young life to Brock and Misty.  
  
"Ash! I had no idea you were capable of something like that!" Misty giggled. Ash's blush deepened.  
  
"Thanks a lot Sheri!" Ash growled, red as a tomato. Brock was laughing so hard that he fell over.   
  
"You're just luck that you were never caught by any of the grownups. That would have been worse," Richard sniggered. The Little Society, Brock, Misty and Ash were situated around a fire, talking. The topic of choice; Little A or Ash's past.  
  
"Remind me to tell a few of your interesting life slip ups," Ash sulked. Richard nearly choked on his drink.  
  
"You wouldn't!" Richard squeaked. Ash gave Robert a big grin that made him sweat in fear.  
  
"Try me!" Ash replied. "Did I ever tell anyone about the time that Robert and Raina got-"  
  
"Nooo!" Robert literally leapt over the fire to stop Ash's story. Ash expected that and he rolled over the back of the log, escaping the attempted strangulation.  
  
"I'm just kidding!" Ash chocked out between laughs. Robert's face was bright red from anger while Ash's was red from laughter.  
  
"Not funny, `Shura!" Robert growled. Ash laughed for a while longer. "Let's change the subject," Robert said, sitting back down.  
  
"So, you two were gym leaders?" Candy asked. Misty and Brock smiled.  
  
"Yes, we decided to follow Ash on his pokemon journey before it was-interrupted," Brock said carefully.  
  
"I don't know why you would want to go with this chump. Waaa!" Ken was thumped by Ash.  
  
"What was that creep?" Ash growled. Ken nursed his aching head. Misty and Brock snickered.  
  
"So, I guess that makes you pokemon trainers too," Robert said off hand.  
  
"Actually, no. I want to be the world's best pokemon breeder," Brock said. Ash turned his attention to the conversation, not liking where it was going to lead.  
  
"Really?" Sheri asked. "What about you?" Sheri gestured to Misty. Misty smiled and hugged Togepi close.  
  
"I want to be a water pokemon master." A silence passed between groups. "What about you? What are your plans for the future?" To Ash's surprise, it was Ken who answered first.  
  
"My brother and sister are going to continue the family business, so I though I could stick with Ash for a while." To that Misty and Brock smiled.  
  
"I'm already doing what I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm going to run my sweetshop until I'm old and grey," Candy cut in. Ash already knew that dream. The talk of dreams got rolling and everyone had a story to tell.  
  
"I'm going to be a highly sought after computer expert," Gizmo said smugly.  
  
"You already are a highly sought after computer expert. Now if only you were well paid highly sought after computer expert…" Ash joked. Robert took his turn after Gizmo finished his raspberry.  
  
"I thought my dream was to become the next Aqua City head librarian." Ash jumped up, forgetting all about Gizmo's retort.  
  
"What? You thought?" Ash interrupted.  
  
"Yes, but now… I think my dream is to teach young kids all about the world." At this Ash blushed and began to sputter.  
  
"Really?" Ken said, smiling. "Whatever changed your mind?" Ken asked, staring straight at Ash. Ash let out a nervous laugh.  
  
"What about you, Sheri?" Misty asked. "What's your dream for the future?" Sheri was taken aback by Misty's sudden intrusion.  
  
"Um..I..err..well.." Sheri blushed deeply. "I know I'm going to take my mother's place as mayor one day but…" Sheri's blush spread. "One day I'd like to be a mother." Every boy there turned red.  
  
"Um, um, um," Gizmo stuttered. Robert cut in, hoping all would forget the embarrassing moment.  
  
"What about you Ash?" he asked.  
  
"Huh?" Ash tensed. His two worlds were about to collide.  
  
"What's your dream?" Robert asked with a little smile. Ash relaxed and stared into the fire.  
  
"That's easy!" Misty said with a laugh. "Ash wants to be the greatest pokemon master in the world." The response from the group, or lack thereof, caused Brock and Misty much confusion. The Little Society stared at them, then at Ash, then back at them.  
  
"No way!" Ken sputtered out in disbelief.   
  
"I-I don't believe it!" Gizmo coughed out. Robert and Candy's reaction was the same: silent shock.  
  
"Th-that's ridiculous!" Sheri yelled. "Why would Ash waste all his talent by doing that? If you said world's best doctor, mechanic or police officer, I would have agreed. A Pokemon Master?"  
  
"Are you out of your bloom`n mind?" Candy screeched at Misty. She had finally snapped out of it. Misty was shocked to near speechlessness at the young lady's outburst.  
  
"Wha-?" Misty repeated over and over again, trying to figure out what she said wrong.  
  
"She's not crazy, I am," Ash said, commanding the whole group's attention to him again. Ash had never looked so serious in his whole life as he did right then, in that fire light.  
  
"Ash?" Sheri spoke, unbelief written on her face. Ash answered, not tearing his eyes from the fire.  
  
"I know that it sounds like a little kid's dream but it's what I want to do." Ash closed his eyes. "Being a pokemon trainer…Cherry Canyon is isolated. You've never seen a real pokemon battle before. I had no idea what I was dong when I first started out." Ash opened his eyes.  
  
'That look!' The Little Society had seen this look in Little A's eyes rarely. A flame of pure, refined passion burned in his eyes, matching that of the bonfire in front of them.  
  
"But, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Life and death situations, winning badges, making friends, defeating the bad guys." Ash went silent for a moment. "What a pokemon master is, that's just the end result of what I want to do. I want the journey, not the end result." Ash closed his eyes again. Brock, who had been silent the whole time, decided to join in.  
  
"I take it we'll be leaving soon then." Ash opened his eyes to ask 'what makes you thing that?' Brock's smile was enormous. "You can't fool us, Ketchum!"  
  
"You're thinking of battles, badges and captures. You're positively drooling to get back to your pokemon journey," Misty said, smiling. "We also know your father can't hold you down forever." Ash responded by staring into the fire once again.  
  
"That's what you think," Ash said, weariness lacing his tone. The bonfire was put out after that and everyone went home. Ash, Misty and Brock walked up the read to Ash's father's house in near silence.  
  
"Ash?" Misty asked? Ash responded with a haphazard yes. "There something that's been bugging me. Why did Sheri go ballistic on me back there? What was with the chocked expressions? I though the would have known."  
  
"Misty, I think it's best we leave Ash alone until tomorrow," Brock said, trying to silence his friend.  
  
"It's all right Brock," Ash interrupted. "I'll answer that." They walked for a bit before Ash started. "They never knew because I never told them. They just assumed that I would have a higher goal than that."  
  
"It doesn't get much higher than that," Misty barked out a laugh. "What else could you be?"  
  
"Just like Sheri said; I could become a doctor, mechanic, police officer, a computer expert, a teacher. I could be anything."  
  
"You are that stubborn," Brock said with a laugh. Ash shot him a dirty look.  
  
"There's a fine line between determined and stubborn, you know," Ash growled. "Anyways, I could never truly show them my interest in pokemon. There are little pokemon around the Canyon and the Forest doesn't help any." They walked on again in silence. When Ash got home, all that changed.  
  
"Creep!"  
  
"Harpy!"  
  
"Jerk!"  
  
"Vixen!"  
  
"Loser!"   
  
"Pika-CHUUUU!"  
  
"Ahhhh," screamed two voices in unison.  
  
"I wondered how long the cease fire would last," Ash sighed. Misty and Brock gave an exasperated look.  
  
"Man, Ash! You were expecting this?" Brock asked, somewhat surprised. Ash nodded.  
  
"Maybe your father shouldn't be so stubborn," Misty said offhand.  
  
"Wha-? He is not!" Ash said in his father's defense.  
  
"He is too! You get your stubborn streak from him. I'm sure of it," Misty said, her voice becoming higher.  
  
"I do not!" Ash growled.  
  
"You do too!" Misty retorted.  
  
"Do not!" Ash yelled in Misty's face.  
  
"Do too!" Misty yelled back.  
  
"Not!"   
  
"Too!"  
  
"Cut it out you two. You sound like them," Brock said, interrupting their spat. Then, the pair realized how close they were and jumped apart, blushing. Brock almost laughed at the situation, but before he could…  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu launched itself as Ash and nearly bowled Ash over. Ash was knocked into Misty.  
  
"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Pikachu was shivering in fright, clinging to Ash. Suddenly the front door opened to reveal two equally angry parents. "Oh…" Ash said quietly.  
  
"Where are you, you little rodent?!" Mark roared. Pikachu and Ash paled.  
  
"ASH!" Delilah roared as well. "Where are you!?!" Ash did the smartest thing he could.  
  
"Tell them I went to a friend's for the night," Ash whispered. Ash jumped up and disappeared before Misty and Brock could say anything.  
  
"Coward," Misty muttered under her breath. Misty and Brock carefully, quietly and quickly made their way around the back, up the stairs and into their respective rooms for the night without detection.  
  
"That was close!" Ash breathed. Pikachu had stopped shaking and sorrowfully looked up at Ash.  
  
"Pika Pikapi. Pika-chu pika pikachu pika-chu!" Ash accepted the pokemon's apology and sighed.   
  
"It wasn't your fault. When they get that angry. It's hard to concentrate on what you're doing exactly. You just broke up the wrong fight, that's all."  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu sighed along with Ash and then grinned evilly. Adults have more resistance to electricity than kids; the fact that he had given them a Thunderbolt probably didn't help their mood. Oh well, at least they had stopped fighting. Ash looked at his pokemon pal who was snickering oddly.  
  
"Come on. It looks like we bunk outside tonight," Aster surprising Digger and company by opening his bag and showing that they were at Crystal Lights, Ash had another night full of dreams that resembled long forgotten memories. 


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the reviews so who wants to 'see' what Sheri was talking about around the fire? Here it is. heh, I'm so mean!  
  
Chapter 18   
***  
  
"Quiet Digger!" a six-year-old Ash growled at the pokemon behind him. Ash was uneasy about what he was doing. Revenge was sweet, but Ash had never done anything this big before.  
  
"Lar!" whispered Digger. Digger and Ash were walking in the catacombs. Ash pulled out his map and stopped in front of his three choices. Ash took the middle one because it led to the school, his school's gym locker room to be precise.  
  
'I'll get back at those creeps! Sabotage my science fair project will they? Grrr…" It was a good thing Ash's teacher, Mrs. Dour, found out about the sabotage; she gave Ash and extension on the project, but she wouldn't punish the felons! Ash decided to take matters into his own hands because her darling nephew would ever get the punishment he deserved.  
  
"Lar-vi-tar?" they were under the showers. Ash knew the security was off. Hee hee hee.  
  
"Pass me up the bag once I'm up." Ash removed two tiles and jumped up. Ash was handed the bag. "I'll be back in three hours. Wait for me at the fountain."  
  
"Lar!" Ash received a thumbs up and a wink before the tiles were put back. Ash flipped on the light on his helmet and went to work. It was a highly complex set up, a high tech prank that Ash was about to pull.  
  
'First, I'll add a little more then just vinegar to their volcano.' Ash was extremely careful with the chemicals he was using. 'Then comes the shocking part.' Ash put a mild shocking device on the stop light project.  
  
Snicker. 'Won't they be shocked!' The last part was going to be tricky. Ash wanted to be able to see what was happening. The only was he was going to be able to do that was to set the camera on the scaffolding.  
  
Erk! 'Seven! I had better hurry!' Ash ran up to and carefully scaled the high loft. When he had the camera at a satisfactory angle, Ash turned to leave.   
  
"Hah! I told you he would be here." Ash was startled by the voice and lost his balance.  
  
Whaaa! Ash was falling.  
  
"A!!!" Ash heard a bit of a rip and he stopped. Ash let out a sigh of relief when he realized his harness had worked.  
  
"Little A! What are you trying to do? Give us a heart attack?" Ash then paled when he remembered the voices. Ash slowly looked down…ah, up, almost afraid to see who it was.  
  
"Sheri? Ken? Gizmo?" Ash gasped in shock. Ash hung there stupidly as his friends began to giggle. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Let's get you down first." Ash blushed when he realized that he was still upside down.  
  
"And you said he didn't have a vindictive bone in his body," Ken said to Sheri. She ignored Ken and circled Ash.  
  
"I've never seen this side of A before." Ken and Gizmo snickered loudly at this. Ash found out why they snickered when he was freed minutes later. Ash's pants ripped wide open in the back, revealing his blue boxers with little stars and moons on them.   
  
****  
  
"So what did you do?" Ken asked in the boy's change room.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ash asked innocently.  
  
"You were in there for a reason. What were you doing?" Ash muffled a laugh as he came out. Ken saw Ash's expression and a small bead of sweat appeared on his head.  
  
"Let's just say, good thing your class didn't participate in the science fair this year!" Ken and Gizmo were a year older than Ash. Sheri went to an all girl school nearby and Candy was home schooled. Robert was already in high school. Sheri was there because the girl's school and the boy's had a coed science fair.  
  
"Why? What did you do?" Ken practically yelled. Ash grabbed his hand and ran out of the change room, through the exit and outside. Gizmo and Sheri were on the swings talking. Ash whistled at them and headed for their jungle gym.  
  
"Alright, what's going on?" Gizmo demanded. Ash took out his mini laptop and began to click on the keys. When he found what he wanted, he showed it to the group.  
  
"Nothing yet. Just wait until the judging starts." Three hours later…  
  
Ha ha ha ha ha!" Ken, Ash Gizmo and Sheri laughed as another judge was shocked by the stoplight project.  
  
"Sush! Look!" ash pointed at the volcano project. They were planning to start it.  
  
"What's going to happen?" Ken asked excitedly. Ash shushed him again and stared at his monitor. Ash watched as the judge inspected the project. The group of three huddled behind Ash, eager to see the screen.  
  
'Put in the vinegar first!' Ash's mind cheered. Ash almost let out a whoop of joy when he was the first ingredient, vinegar, pulled out. Ash's whole body tensed.  
  
"Something wrong?" Ken asked, noticing the tension in his friend. Ash's response was to grab Ken's mouth to silence him. Ash held his breath as he watched the cup empty into the volcano. For a second nothing happened. After five seconds, a red, bubbly foam shot up and up and up. The whole screen was full of confused people. Ash began to snicker.  
  
"That will teach you. That's not even the good part yet!' Ash began to type on his keyboard and a small mini screen popped up.  
  
"What are you doing now, Little A?" Gizmo asked while watching the screen. Ash let a huge grin cross his features.  
  
"The finale of course! You guys might want to get down, this could get chaotic." Ash finished tying and waited to press enter. "Anyone care to do the honors?" The trio looked at each other.   
  
"What?" Gizmo asked. Ash gestured to the 'enter' key. Before anyone could move, Sheri asked the question the boys were asking all day.  
  
"What will happen?" Ash's eyes narrowed evilly.  
  
"Press it and find out. 5-4-3-" Before Ash got to two, Sheri pressed enter and the mini screen blinked off. All the boys stared at her in shock.  
  
"What?" Sheri asked just as innocently as Ash. Then, the fire alarm and sprinklers went off.  
  
RINNG! The screen went into pandemonium. People filed out quickly to avoid being soaked. Ash, Gizmo, Ken and Sheri had a hard time suppressing their laughter when the group made their was outside.   
  
"You are the coolest!" Ken snickered once the group had dispersed. Ash picked up his computer and smiled at what he saw. The water had reacted with the design he had worked so hard to paint.  
  
'That looks better than I thought it would!' Ash's logo, dart and all, was drawn in bright yellow on the floor.  
  
"I know!" Ash snickered. After getting his friends not to say a word about this to anyone, Ash picked up his camera and went to Digger.  
  
"Lar!!" Ash sweat dropped and stepped back from his angry pokemon friend.  
  
"I ran into some trouble. Don't worry-" Ash held up his computer, "-I taped the whole thing." The Larvitar stopped advancing and snickered along with Ash. "Let's go watch it, shall we?"  
  
***  
  
Ash awoke with a start. Ash was lifted high off his hammock with a powerful Watergun from Magic.  
  
"Whaaaa!" Ash landed in his hammock roughly and was sent spinning in it. Ash landed on the floor beside the hammock and sighed loudly.   
  
"Alright! I'm up!" A drenched, fully awake Ash growled at the grinning pokemon. "No need for a shower now!"  
  
"Gyyyrrr!" Ash heard laughter and saw Pikachu, Digger, Arrow and Blue laughing at him. Ash got up and walked over to the laughing pokemon.  
  
"You think that's funny, do you?" Ash took off his soaking nightshirt and wrapped it up. "Well, I think this is funny!"  
  
"Lar?" Ash whipped the shirt around and caught Arrow between the eyes with-a water balloon? Ash grabbed another one out of a secret hole in the tree and took aim.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped just in time to narrowly escape being outright soaked. Ash had been saving these for just such an occasion. Blue let out a Watergun, which Ash ducked, but hit Magic. Ash contained a laugh as Blue turned blue and had a nice bead of swear roll down his pokemon face.  
  
"GYR!" roared Magic.  
  
"DRAAAAA!" Ash ducked and watched Blue go sailing from Magic's Watergun. Ash took the opportunity to catch Digger off guard.   
  
"LAR!" Ash had gotten a bull's-eye and Digger was soaked. "LAR-vi-TAR!" Ash jumped down the escape ladder into the Crystal Light and gave them all a rasp.  
  
'That was fun! Let's see if Digger's up for some mud play!' Ash waited for anyone to come down. When no one did, Ash became curious and went back up the ladder. Ash peeked his head over and almost got railed by a Watergun attack.   
  
"Dra!"  
  
"Pi!"  
  
"Lar!" Ash sighed and watched his pokemon argue for a while. Blue was the mediator between Pikachu and Digger.  
  
"When are you two going to get along?" Ash asked in a sigh. All three pokemon jumped at Ash's intruding voice and backed away from each other.  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep! Ash's watch went off. Ash jumped up and switched if off. Ash looked at it and sighed.  
  
"Thanks for the shower guys. It's time to go, Pikachu." After a farewell, Ash and a swirling eyed Pikachu were on their way home. Ash was preoccupied all the way home, so he once again didn't notice the heavy backpack.  
  
'There's something I'm forgetting.' Ash walked u to his house. 'Something important.' It was early still, so he decided to walk in quietly. What Ash didn't know was that someone was already up.  
  
"Morning!"  
  
"Waaa!" Ash jumped three feet in the air. "Brock…Don't do that!" Brock shrugged and went back to cooking.   
  
"Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, you should get the bathroom before Misty does."  
  
"Morning Champ!" Mark walked into the kitchen. When Mark spotted Pikachu, his attitude changed instantly. "YOU!"  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu hid behind Ash's leg for protection. Ash sighed and sweat dropped.  
  
"Ash, I'm going to have to talk to you about that Pikachu of yours. It Thundershocked your mother and me yesterday!"  
  
'No wonder. You two were fighting!' Ash then had an idea. He so rarely had the opportunity to get his father. Ash lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh? Pikachu normally doesn't shock people unless they're fighting or *cough*." Ash said in a playful tone. "Don't tell me you two were-"  
  
"NO, we were NOT! I don't know where you get these insane ideas Ashura!" Mark interrupted, blushing. Brock listened in on the conversation and almost barked out a laugh. Ash was like his old man! "Go get dressed! You don't want to be late for your own graduation," Mark said, effectively changing the subject.  
  
'Crap!' Ash knew he was forgetting something major. Ash raced up the stairs, past his mom and into the washroom. Delilah walked down to see Brock cooking, thank goodness, and Mark with a mug.  
  
"Mark? Something wrong? You look a little flushed." Delilah watched as Mark blushed even more and stubbornly took a drink of his coffee.  
  
"I'm just fine!" Mark ground out. Delilah sat down next to him; unaware of the conversation he had with Ash. "I don't know what you did, but he's definitely your son!"  
  
"Huh?" Delilah was confused. Brock tried not to snicker and kept cooking, his back turned and his grin huge.  
  
"I honestly don't know where he gets his ideas from! Really Delilah, what did you let him watch as a kid? Soaps?"  
  
"Mark! What on earth makes you say that?" Delilah sputtered. Mark stared down at his cup.  
  
"He just-umm…He thinks the reason that his Pikachu zapped us yesterday was because it thought we mumble mumble," Mark trailed off at the end.  
  
"Mark? I didn't hear you. Please say that again." Mark blushed harder, if that was even possible. Brock held a potholder to his mouth.  
  
Mark tried again. "Ash thought we were mumble…" Mark he trailed off again.  
  
"Mark!" Delilah was slightly annoyed by now.  
  
"KISSING!" Mark bellowed. "Ash thought that his Pikachu might have zapped us because it might have thought we were kissing! Happy now?" Mark grabbed his mug and stamped out onto his porch, completely red. Delilah was left stunned. Brock kept cooking the eggs.  
  
'Yup, Ash sure does take after Mark,' Brock thought with a smile.  
  
'What was that all about?' Ash wondered as he shut off the water. Ash didn't have time to wonder anymore about it, he had to get ready.  
  
"Ash! Let me in!" and the bellowing Misty outside the door didn't help matters much either.  
  
"In a minute!" Ash shouted back at her. After wrapping himself in a towel, Ash left the bathroom to Misty and got changed into his official Cadet formal uniform. Ash looked at himself in the mirror and moaned.  
  
'It makes me look like a dork!' Ash thought in a groan. Ash's door opened and Mark came in.  
  
"Well, don't we look regal. Careful! I heard that your little friend Sasha goes wild for a man in uniform," Mark joked.  
  
"DAD!" Ash went pale. "Don't even joke like that!" Mark grinned and straightened his hat.  
  
"Payback. Now, go show your mother how, ugh, cute you look!" Mark made a face at the word cute and Ash had to agree with him.  
  
"I'm never going to look manly to her, am I?" Ash asked sweat dropping.  
  
"I'll never doubt that you will ever look anything but that to your mother. Elch! I never did." Ash laughed and Pikachu woke up.  
  
"Pikapi? PIKA!" Pikachu said in alarm when he spotted Mark coming towards him.  
  
"Dad? What are you doing?" Mark picked up Pikachu and held him.  
  
"I'll take care of Pikachu for today. Better give me that pokebelt too. We don't want any embarrassing moments during graduation, no do we? Get going and make me proud bo-er-Champ!" Ash grinned and bounded down the stairs.  
  
"Ash, hurry up!" Misty yelled impatiently outside. They had to get going or they would be late for Ash's graduation.  
  
"I'm coming!" yelled a cheerful voice from behind the door. When Ash stepped out, both females present received a shock. Brock stood there with a look of pride in his eyes; his 'little brother' was growing up. Ash noticed his mother's watering eyes too late.  
  
"My baby's grown up on me!" Ash was swooped up in a hug and strangled by his mother. During the fiasco in which Ash was trying to breath, no one noticed that Misty was staring at Ash, starry eyed and blushing.  
  
'What am I doing?' Misty shook herself out of her daze. Misty had to admit Ash looked good in uniform. Ash's nice and tidy blue and gold uniform perfectly offset his wild, spiky hairstyle and deep chocolate brown eyes. Who was she kidding? Ash looked great!  
  
"Mom! *Gasp* We have to leave!" Delilah let go of Ash for a moment.  
  
"Oh! That's right!" Ash panted to return his face to its normal color.   
  
"So, Ash-" Brock started on the walk to town, "-what's going to happen today?"  
  
"Well, first off, there's the minors assembly which I have to be present for," Ash sighed.  
  
"Minor's assembly?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah. Essentially there are two levels to Cadet training: scholar and physical. Sometimes it takes years to get past one part of the training, so they try to do it in sections, two for each level."  
  
"So which part are you graduating from? Scholarly or physical?" Misty asked. Ash fell over anime style.  
  
"I'm not passing! I'm Graduating! There is a big difference, you know!" Ash yelled at Misty, taking a step toward her.  
  
"Well I don't know! I'm a water pokemon trainer, not a Cadet in training," Misty yelled right back at him. Delilah went behind the pair and pushed.  
  
"You can walk and argue at the same time, can't you?" Ash and Misty didn't even notice that they had started to walk again.  
  
"I'm not in training anymore! Get that through that thick skull of yours!"  
  
"I'M thick skulled? You're the one with the one-track mind! Mr. I-wanna-be-a-pokemon- master!"  
  
"What? Are not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!" Brock shook his head and sighed; this could take a while.  
  
"Ashura!" Misty and Ash both jumped at the sound of Mark's loud voice. "Stop that at once! Don't you have any manners? Really!"  
  
"She started it!" Ash muttered. The group had been traveling slowly so Mark could catch up with them. Mark looked down at his son.  
  
"I did not!"  
  
"I don't care who started it!" Mark bellowed once again. "I just finished it! End of discussion." The group walked on in silence for a while, but not before Ash could mouth-  
  
'Did too.' Misty stuck her tongue out at Ash and he did the same. The silence had gotten to Mark, so he asked Ash a question.  
  
"So, Ashura, what's the plan for today?" At this, everyone fell over.  
  
"Pi?" Pikachu asked from Mark's shoulder.  
  
"Was it something I said?" After arriving in town, Ash received a boring lecture from Officer Jenny.  
  
"Ash! You're one of the graduating class for this year! You have to set a good example for the younger kids and you show up without your hat!?!"  
  
"Only graduates that go on to Officer jobs are supposed to wear the hats," Ash said n his defense. Ash secretly didn't like the hat but wasn't about to tell her that.  
  
"No excuse! I know!" Then Officer Jenny did the unexpected and took off her own hat and shoved it on Ash's head. "You can wear it for today."  
  
"Where do you want us Ash?" Misty asked, still holding onto Brock's ear.  
  
"In the crowd is fine," Ash said with a big grin, eyeing the poor Brock. Misty dragged Brock off into the crowd. After a long ceremony, Ash was let down from the stage for the lunch break. Ash found everyone amongst the proud and eager younger Cadets easily because of Brock's antics.  
  
"Now what?" Misty asked with Brock in hand, his ear that is. Ash walked over to the group.  
  
"Now it's lunch time," Ash said smiling. When Ash's stomach started to growl, everyone sweat dropped.  
  
"And just in time, I think!" Mark joked. Mark took everyone out to Candy's and they all had a huge lunch.  
  
"Wow, I'm stuffed," Ash said as they were coming out of the shop.  
  
"You should be! You ate everything in sight," Misty teased. As laughed and put his hands behind his head. That's when he realized something was wrong.  
  
"I forgot her hat! You guys go ahead, I'll be right back." Ash ran back and sure enough Officer Jenny's hat was sitting in the booth where they had eaten. Almost ominously, a pick corvette parked outside Candy's shop. Ash, unaware, picked up his hat and walked outside to a rather nasty surprise.  
  
"Hey Loser!" Ash's blood ran cold. Ash couldn't, wouldn't believe this was happening.  
  
'There's no one there! It's just your imagination,' Ash pleaded with himself. He turned around and felt his heart sink just a little. "Gary!?!" Ash asked in shock. There he was, standing by his vehicle, with a sneer Ash hadn't seen in years.   
  
"Never thought I would find you in a loser town like this! Pallet's larger then this dump!" Gary said cruelly. Before Ash could respond, Gary crossed the line. "I heard you quit pokemon training. What's the matter? Did you finally realize that baby type pokemon weren't going to make you a pokemon master?"  
  
"Whaaat?" Ash growled.  
  
"And what's with the get up? Lose a bet? Going to a costume party, Ash? I know! You're the class dork! No, no, no, you're the class loser! That's it!"  
  
"I'm a Cadet!" Ash yelled at Gary, losing his temper. Ash's yell was like a beacon for every person Ash knew in Cherry Canyon. Candy came out of her shop with almost every Cadet behind her, gawking at Ash's behavior.  
  
"Oh! So you're a Cadet loser! Well, that explains everything," Gary said with a smirk. Everything in Ash's vision went swimming red.  
  
"I am not a Loser!" Ash snapped at Gary. Gary smirked, knowing that he was upsetting Ash.  
  
"Whatever. I'm looking for Officer Jenny. Gramps sent me on an errand and I have a package for her." Ash turned around, trying to be stubborn and saw the Cadets staring at him.  
  
'Oh great!' Ash moaned sarcastically. 'This is not my day.'  
  
"She's-"  
  
"Right here. Waaa! Ash! What are you doing here?" Ash looked at her blankly  
  
"Hi Officer Jenny. Gramps sent this over for you," Gary said warmly. Officer Jenny looked at Gary.  
  
"Who are you?" Gary fell over.  
  
"I'm Gary Oak! The only great pokemon trainer from Pallet Town." Gary received a death glare from Ash that didn't go unnoticed by Officer Jenny. "Anyway, what's in this package? Gramps wouldn't tell me."  
  
"Package?" Officer Jenny looked down and saw the small package in Gary's clutches and paled. Ash backed off when he saw Officer Jenny's eyes begin to blaze. "You were supposed to be here yesterday!" Gary backed up a bit.  
  
"Well, I'm here today aren't I? It couldn't be helped," Gary said in a shrill voice. Ash snickered at Gary's tone.  
  
"Ash! Don't you have someplace to be?" Officer Jenny growled. Ash involuntarily winced at her tone of voice; she had never used that tone with Ash before.  
  
"Yes, m`am!" Ash saluted and was grateful to leave the scene. By the time Ash had caught up with the group, his whole demeanor had changed from when he had left them.   
  
'That Gary! Who does he think he is? He may be the grandson of the great Professor Oak, but that doesn't give him the right to walk all over me! Grrrr!'  
  
"Ash?" Mark gapped at his son. Mark had never seen Ash so angry before. Misty saw Ash and nudged Brock.  
  
"Hey Ash, can I talk to you for a minute?" Brock asked cheerfully. Ash didn't even hear his friend. Ash walked tight past everyone into the park for the graduation ceremony.  
  
"Ash!" Misty called out after him. Ash was lost in the huge crowd. "Ash…."  
  
Disclaimer: Yaddda yadda yadda. 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Where did all these people come from?" Brock asked, trying not to get run over.

"The cadets are the pride of Cherry Canyon. Their graduation is a major event here," Mark answered. "I just don't understand why Ash is so upset. This should be a memorable day for him."

"The only time I've seen Ash that upset is when he bumps into Gary," Misty observed.

"Gary?" Mark asked, not having heard that name from Ash.

"Ash's rival from Pallet Town," Brock explained. "Ash can't stand him. Although, the last time we saw him, Gary wasn't as annoying or arrogant, but he and Ash still got along like water and oil mixing." Brock turned to Misty. "You don't think…." Misty sighed and nodded her head.

"Yup, Gary is in town. Let's just hope for Ash's sake that he's just passing through." Ash made his way over to the stage where the grads were sitting. When the cadets saw Ash, they all stopped talking. The last time they had seen Ash like this, it was in Aqua City. Ash flopped his hat on a seat and started to take off his backpack.

"Something wrong, Little A?" Ash looked up to see Nick's concerned face.

"Just peachy!" Ash said sarcastically. "I normally stomp my feet and growl if there's nothing wrong," Ash snapped. "Besides, what do you care?" Nick stepped back, more than just a little hurt.

"We all care Little A," Nick said softly. "We-" before Nick could continue, Ash interrupted.

"No! You care about Little A, not Ash Ketchum, your fellow cadet. You and the rest of the cadets could have cared less about me until Little A was mentioned. You never even gave me a chance!" Ash shouted. He turned from the crowd and stomped off into the trees behind the stage. Ash began to walk off some steam when he ran into some people he didn't need to see that day.

"Look who it is," Justin said in a smug voice. Ash turned to see Justin, Trevor and Mike heading his way. "The Aqua City Cadet Chump. How-" Ash interrupted him too.

"You're treading on dangerously thin ice. So, if you want to keep your teeth, I suggest you get lost and I mean NOW!" Ash said with venom in his voice. Ash's tone had the desired effect and Ash' left the three boys stunned, staring after him.

'There is no possible way this day can get any worse,' Ash thought grumpily.

"Prepare for-"

"ARRRGH! THAT DID IT!" Ash stomped his way over to a startled Jessie, James and Meowth. "You idiots take a hike! I'm in no mood for your stupid schemes right now! Get going before I blast you off myself."

"But-" James whimpered.

"I'm going to cream you if you don't get lost by the count of five! Five..four..three..two." Ash didn't have to finish the count. The trio disappeared at three. Ash walked for fifteen minutes before he realized that he was acting like a jerk.

'I had better head back to the park. I should be there at least.' When Ash noticed his surroundings, he laughed. Ash was back in the park. Ash headed back to the stage and thanked his lucky stars that they hadn't started yet. Ash went and sat down where he had left his hat.

"Ash?" Ash's forehead popped a vein. Ash closed his eyes and crossed his arms coldly.

"Didn't I already make it clear that I don't want to talk?" Ash clipped out.

"Just shut up and listen," snapped Frank. Ash heard the shuffle of chairs. Curious, Ash opened his eyes to see Nick, Tyrel, Frank, Boomer and Joe situated around him He then closed his eyes again.

"What do you want?" Ash asked, clearly annoyed that he was being bothered. There was an uneasy silence.

"We want to apologize," Tyrel said.

"Apologize?" Ash barked as a laugh. "It's a little late for that isn't it? We are graduating in a few minutes."

"Don't make this harder than it already is," Frank growled.

"What? So you can sleep comfortably tonight?" Ash hissed. "So you can live with yourselves? Sorry, 'we know we treated you unfairly but at least we apologized' isn't going to cut it."

"Then what will?" Nick asked seriously. Ash opened his eyes to look into Nick's. When Ash was sincerity and honesty there, his own eyes softened. Then, Ash grinned.

"Bribery works with me."

"WHAT?" All the cadets shouted.

"Treat me to a Candy ice cream special and all is forgiven." All the cadets fell over in sync.

"You're joking!" Joe exclaimed.

"All we had to do was buy you something to eat and you would have forgiven us for all the nasty things we did?" Boomer asked shrilly. Ash looked like he was thinking for a moment.

"You're right! Better make that a burger too," Ash said with a smile on his face. All the cadets fell down again.

"What are you all doing!?! The ceremony is about to start!" All the cadets jumped to their feet at the sound of Officer Jenny's voice. "Get back to your seats NOW!"

"Yes m'am!" The graduating group said in unison. Then Officer Jenny spotted Ash.

"That's not where you're supposed to be," Officer Jenny pointed to a single chair by itself near the center of the stage, but situated back three feet.

"You never used that tone with me before," Ash said simply. Officer Jenny stopped short.

"What are you talking about?" the startled woman asked. Ash stood up to look her in the eye.

"With Gary. You said, 'Don't you have some where to be Ash?' rather harshly. I understand the stress you've been under, but I didn't deserve that." Officer Jenny was stunned. She didn't know what to say. Ash looked at her shocked face and sighed.

'I hope I wasn't too out of line pointing that out to her. Oh well, too late now.' Ash walked by Officer Jenny and sat in his designated seat. As Ash sat down, Officer Jenny snapped out of her daze. Before she could apologize, her deputy stepped in.

"It's time to start," said Officer Tucker. Officer Jenny was pulled to the front of the stage.

'I guess he'll have to wait for my apology.' The crowd silenced as she took the microphone.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. I would like to start off by introducing the graduating cadets this year. Say hello to Joe Neil." Joe stood and walked up to the stage. Claps echoed throughout the park.

"You go Joe!" came a voice from the crowd. A sibling or cousin perhaps.

"Welcome to the Officers Police Force Joe. Your posting will be Aqua City if you choose to accept it." Another round of applause was heard. "Next up is Frank Baskin." Frank walked to the stage. Ash heard the younger cadets begin to chant.

"Frank! Frank! Frank!"

'Phweee!' A whistle was heard.

'Probably Ceris,' Ash thought with a growl. Frank walked up to the podium.

"Welcome to the Officers Police Force, Frank. Your posting, if you choose to accept it is Sundale Town. Another round of applause was heard. "Next is Tyrel Wattson." A quieter applause was heard as Tyrel walked up to the stage.

'Not as popular as you like to think you are, are you?' Ash thought. Tyrel walked up to Officer Jenny.

"Welcome to the Officers Police Force. Your posting, if you choose to accept it, is here in Cherry Canyon." There was a gasp from Tyrel when he realized he was staying at home. After the applause died out, Officer Jenny continued. "Our next graduate is our very own 'Boomer' Dryden." A fair sized applause came for Boomer.

"Welcome to the Officers Police Force. Your posting, if you choose to accept it, is Pallet Town." Ash nearly fell out of his seat. Pallet Town? HIS Pallet Town? Again, after the cheers ceased, Officer Jenny continued. "Next is out pride and joy…Nick Clarmont!"

'Our pride and joy?' Ash gaped openly as the crowd went nuts for Nick. No one noticed Ash's open mouth or shocked demeanor as Nick made his way to Officer Jenny. 'Great! You win the cadet championship title and you're forgotten the next week.' Ash simmered into a nice fit of rage until Officer Jenny spoke again.

"As many know, Nick is a very hard working individual and is a great asset to any team. I welcome you to the Officers Police Force with great pride. You posting, if you chose to accept it, is Crimson City." A loud roar erupted throughout the park.

'It's a nice posting,' Ash observed. Crimson City had a reputation for being a nice place to be among the cadets. It supposedly had stupid crooks and easy patrol jobs. Then there was a silence that Ash found awkward. Then, footsteps echoed off the stage as the deputy brought a box to Officer Jenny. Ash's stomach froze. 'What's she up to?'

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rare treat this afternoon. There is a cadet among our ranks who, since day one, was in a class of his own. I have never seen a harder worker or more determined spirit in all my years of cadet training. This individual deserves special recognition for his accomplishments. I give you the best of your cadets this year, Ashura Ketchum!" Ash rose from his chain and the reaction from the people gathered there was deafening.

"Ash! Ash! Ash!" Chanted the younger cadets. The roars and yells from the crowd were too many to comprehend, much less understand. Ash saw the Little Society sparkling with excitement. When Ash got up to the podium and almost gasped. Everyone was cheering for him and he distinctly heard someone say-

"Little A rules!" Ash blushed with embarrassment and stood nervously beside Officer Jenny. Silence finally came when Officer Jenny lifted her hands.

"Not only did Ashura pass both levels of cadet training in under six months, he excelled in both areas. Between cadet training and his job, Ashura managed to not only go to the cadet tournaments, but win them with his pokemon partner! Ashura is at a level of accomplishments that only the best can achieve. However-" Ash noticed the audience's faces falter.

'Here it comes. Dad is not gong to like this.' Ash knew that Officer Jenny was going to announce his return to Pokemon Training. Officer Jenny took a deep breath before continuing.

"-It has come to my attention that Ashura would not accept a positing even if I offered one to him." There was a collective gasp from the crowd. "Therefore, I will not bother to offer Ashura a positing. Rather, I will offer him something else."

'What?' Ash thought, stunned. Ash was totally taken aback when Officer Jenny picked up the box the deputy had given her and opened it.

"Unique people need unique postings. I welcome you, Ashura Satoshi Ketchum, into the Officers Police Force as the only cadet trainer in the world." There was a collective awe from the crowd and Ash. "Your new position, if you choose to accept it, is where ever you go in your travels as a trainer. You are to be issued an additional six pokeballs to the regular six a trainer carries. These pokeballs will hold any pokemon of your choice and are to be used in cadet situations only and not in regular battles. You are to be issued a unique I.D. that will identify you as the cadet trainer that will be recognized worldwide. Your salary will be that of a regular Officer's and you will be issued a special badge as well. I congratulate you and salute you." Ash was handed the box and tears began to swell in his eyes.

'I can't believe this!' Ash thought. 'Officer Jenny did this for me?' Ash stared at the six balls in the box, his badge and I.D. card. Ash looked up to see Officer Jenny saluting him and he returned the salute in kind.

"I-I don't know what to say," Ash chocked out. Officer Jenny smiled and leant over.

"How about 'Yes'?" she whispered. Officer Jenny had to be joking! Of course he would take the job!

"I accept!" A deafening roar twice as loud as before shook the stage. Ash didn't even hear them. On of the pokeballs in the box began to shake violently.

'What?' The pokeball opened and on stage materialized a Growlithe. A familiar Growlithe.

"Silver!" Ash gasped loudly. The pokemon spotted Ash and charged.

"Growl, Growl!" Before anyone could react, the over excited pokemon bashed into Ash, making him drop the box and sent the pair sailing off the stage and into the fountain beside it.

SPLASH! Ash landed in the water with his new pokemon still on his chest. The entire crowd and graduating class sweat dropped, not knowing what to do. Then a voice cut through the silence, clearly overjoyed.

"Silver! You big lug, get off of me!" Laughter echoed throughout the crowd and Ash's giggles could be heard by all present. After Ash was rescued form the fountain, a picture was taken to record the event.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the new Officers of the world and it's first Cadet Trainer." The loudest and largest cheer of the day was let loose and no one was without a smile on their face.

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon. (Help! Help!) Never mind the screams for help. Just because I don't own pokemon doesn't mean I can't steal them 


	20. Chapter 20

Author Note: thank you Danni Lea. Your review got my beta off her butt and i hope you enjoy .

Chapter 20

When the graduation ceremony was over Ash went to look for his parents.

"Misty!" Ash spotted his friend first. Misty turned to the voice and saw Ash's happy face.

"There he is!" Misty grabbed Brock, who almost fell over by her rough pull on his vest. Ash bounded up to them, clearly excited. Silver stuck to Ash's heels like glue, even in the crowd.

"Have you guys seen my parents? I want to know -urk!" Ash couldn't breathe suddenly.

"That's my baby!" Ash struggled in his mother's grasp, making Silvemane nervous.

"Hi mom," Ash said in a raspy voice.

"Delilah! Really! We're in public! Besides he's soaking wet," Mark cut in. Ash was released from the hug and stepped back to look in his parent's proud eyes.

"We're really proud of you, son," Delilah said, nearly in tears. Ash put a bashful hand behind his neck and he blushed.

"Awww, mom!" Ash said, crimson. Mark walked over to his son and ruffled his hair.

"I just want to know how you managed to convince Officer Jenny to create a job in the Police Force tailor made just for you!" Mark joked.

"DAD!" Ash yelped. Before another word could be uttered, Nick popped in.

"There you are! What are you still doing here? We have a party to get to." Ash had totally forgotten about the party that was to be held at the cadet centre. Silvermane at Ash's feet let out a playful yip and Pikachu appeared on Ash's shoulder.

"Only if pokemon are permitted," Ash said in a laugh. Nick rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you're the guest of honour. You have to be there for the blast off." Nick grabbed his hand and tried to drag Ash towards the cadet centre.

"I can't! Just look at me! I have to go change first!" Ash protested.

"You can borrow something." Ash sighed. Before Ash would leave, he grabbed his bag and stuffed the box into it. Ash walked to the cadet centre with Nick, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Silvermane, and Togepi.

"Why do I have to be there right now? Why can't this wait until I've changed?" Ash asked for the third time.

"You'll see," Nick said with a grin. The secrecy was killing Ash.

"So it's being held at the gym?" Misty asked, confirming their earlier conversation.

"Yes. The party is being held in the bigger gym for cadet training. The smaller gym is still set up," Nick explained. When they neared the complex, Nick steered Ash away from the gym. "You guys go ahead. I have to get Ash changed." Ash was led into the change room.

"OK, what's the deal?" Ash found himself staring into Ken's comical car salesman smile.

"Surprise number two!" Ken said holding up a shopping bag. Ash took it gingerly and peered in.

"You didn't!" Ash gasped. Misty, Brock and Togepi walked into the party and marvelled at their surroundings.

"These guys know how to throw a party!" Brock said, clearly excited. There was a stage for a live band, no band members to be seen, but all set up, a mountain of food off to one side and a dance floor that would rival a disco light show.

"Yeah," Misty said in agreement. Within an hour, the place was packed.

"I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this!" Ash grumped to Nick and Ken. Ken stifled a giggle.

"You look fine. What are you worried about?" Nick asked, confused. Ash shot him a death glare.

"It's not 'what' Nick," Ken said with a laugh. "It's a who. Ash is worried about a certain girl's behaviour."

'OH GOD! Please don't let Sasha show up!' Ash prayed. Nick gave Ken a confused look and then noticed Ash's pale face.

"Oh," Nick said as he realized Ash's predicament. "I don't understand you Little A," Nick said suddenly.

"What don't you understand?" Ash asked, still nervous.

"You have all the girls in town literally drooling all over you and you still don't have a girlfriend. Is it that you're just shy or is it something else?" At Nick's question, Ash turned beet red.

"Umm, umm…" Ash didn't know how to respond. Ken's laughter made Ash jump.

"Shy? HIM?" Ken barked out another laugh. "That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard! The only thing this guy is shy about is his own feelings. I'm shocked that you can't tell Nick."

"That I can't tell what?" Nick asked, curious. Ash saw the look in Ken's eyes and paled.

"Why, that our Little A has a crush on someone. I'm sure-ack!" Ken was cut off. So was his air supply as Ash tried to silence his friend.

"Say it and I pound you!" Ash snarled to Ken. Nick joined the fray. The result from their tussle was a, oxygen deprived blue Ken, a red-faced Ash and a laughing Nick.

Gasp "OK! I won't say her name!" Ash let go of Ken's neck. "Geeze, what a strong grip you have grandmother," Ken rasped.

"All the better to strangle you with, my dear," Ash said in a low voice. Nick, Ken and Ash laughed for a moment. Then Ash jumped a mile high when the door suddenly swung open with a bang.

"Hey guys, we're rea-where's Ash?" Gizmo asked. Nick and Ken began to laugh harder than they already had been, confusing the already baffled Gizmo. Then Gizmo heard a loud groan from behind the door. Nick pointed to where Ash was; Ken couldn't even do that. Gizmo closed the door again to find a struggling Ash on a hook attached to the back of the door. When Gizmo startled at Ash, he jumped up and had snagged his collar on the hook.

"A little help here?" Ash growled. Gizmo turned red.

"I am so sorry. Are you alright, Ash?" Gizmo, Ken and a still giggling Nick helped Ash off of the hook.

"Was it always like this?" Nick asked once Ash was down.

"Was it always like what?" Ken asked, confused.

"Was it always this much fun to be Little A's friend?" Nick asked. Ken grinned a huge grin.

"You have no idea," Ken said with a chuckle.

"We're ready for you guys," Gizmo said, remembering what caused the commotion.

"I don't think I can do this guys!" Ash said in a squeak. Ken and Gizmo exchanged glances and smiled mischievously.

"Well, you can always be tracked down in the crowd," Ken began.

"And be forced to slow dance or whatever…" Gizmo let Ash's imagination take over.

"You guys are terrible, you know that? Alright, get me on that stage before I lose my nerve."

Meanwhile Brock and Misty had claimed a small table as their own.

"Growlithe?" Misty looked down at Ash's new pokemon and sighed.

"I don't know what's keeping him either. Just be patient um… Brock? What did Ash call her?"

"Growl" Silvermane barked at being called a girl. This was a pokemon trainer?!

"I think it's a he and Ash called him Silver," Brock said, correcting Misty.

"Well ex-cuse me," Misty snapped. Silvermane was getting nervous. He had never been around so many people before without Ash. Pikachu seemed to sense Silvermane's anxiety and jumped down from the tabletop to properly meet the pokemon.

Translation On

"Hi! You must be Ash's pal Silvermane," Pikachu greeted warmly. Silvermane sat down.

"I am. Who might you be?" Silvermane asked politely, trying not to appear nervous.

"I'm Pikachu. I was Ash's starting pokemon on his pokemon journey."

"Really? I thought that you were with the girl," Silvermane began to forget the crowd and focus on the conversation.

"Who? Misty? No, she's a water pokemon trainer. Misty and Ash are friends," Pikachu said.

"That's not what my nose tells me," Silvermane said with a chuckle. Pikachu was confused.

"What do you mean?" Pikachu asked. Silvermane let out another chuckle.

"Can't you smell it?" Silvermane teased as the lights suddenly went off. "What's going on?" Silvermane yelped in fear. Pikachu, however, was calm.

"They're starting the music."

Translation Off

Disclaimer: I don't own anything ; ;


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